A 40-year-old woman in New Mexico was taken into custody twice within a week for reportedly mistreating her children in a cruel manner. The alleged acts included making them smoke cigarettes until they became sick and using pepper spray on them.
Yvonne Legardy was arrested on two separate occasions this week, facing charges of child abuse that did not result in death or serious injury, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
As per a report by KFOX, a Fox affiliate in El Paso, Texas, the incident occurred on May 31, 2024. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the station, Legardy’s 14-year-old son left his home and sought help at the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library. According to reports, the boy stated that his mother had allegedly used the handle of a blue metal mop to harm him.
Officers from the Las Cruces Police Department arrived at the scene and spoke to the young boy, who alleged that his sibling had assaulted him as a result of his perceived failure to adequately tidy up their backyard. The child was found with visible injuries, including welts on his body that seemed to correspond to the size of the mop handle.
After the incident, the police proceeded to Legardy’s residence on Webster Avenue in the 1700 block. There, she asserted that her son had fabricated their violent altercation. According to reports, Legardy claimed that she was trying to search her son for “contraband” when he unexpectedly fled. Additionally, officers at the residence noted the presence of a damaged blue metal mop in the garage, which appeared to align with the child’s account of the assault.
During the investigation into the initial allegations against Legardy, authorities uncovered a troubling incident. It started when Legardy found a vaping device and escalated to the point where she pepper-sprayed multiple of her children.
According to court documents, Legardy discovered a vaping device at her home on May 11, 2024, which she believed was owned by one of her children. Allegedly, in an attempt to identify the child responsible, she reportedly took two children to the backyard and compelled them to smoke cigarettes until they became sick.
According to court documents, Legardy allegedly became upset when the children vomited and reacted by using her can of Mace to pepper spray them. According to court documents, authorities have alleged that Legardy has used pepper spray on her children on multiple occasions.
Legardy’s husband, Lerenzo Andre Legardy, is currently incarcerated for allegedly mistreating two of her children. According to reports, he is said to have used an extension cord to repeatedly strike two teenagers on their legs, arms, shoulders, and head. This incident allegedly occurred after he discovered them playing with the family’s Amazon “Alexa” device.
Legardy is currently being held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. According to records, she is set to make another court appearance for a preliminary examination on July 31.
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