Non-Indian Man Residing on Laguna Pueblo Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Abuse Charge

ALBUQUERQUE – Aris Jaramillo, 36, a non-Indian man residing in Encinal, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a child abuse charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jaramillo was arrested in Aug. 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with engaging in child abuse on Aug. 13, 2017, on the Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.  According to the complaint, Jaramillo struck a Laguna Pueblo child multiple times in the head.

During today’s proceedings, Jaramillo pled guilty to an information charging him with child abuse.  In entering the guilty plea, Jaramillo admitted that on Aug. 13, 2017, he became upset and hit the victim several times in the head and left red marks on the victim’s head. 

At sentencing, Jaramillo faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Laguna Pueblo Tribal Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall.