Inset, left to right: Gabriel Antonio Santos-Funes and Maria Valladares (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The North Carolina neighborhood where the parents allegedly abused their children and assaulted police officers (Google Maps).
The parents of four children in North Carolina were arrested after police said the father threw garlic at officers and he and the mother attacked them during a chaotic response at the family’s home.
Gabriel Antonio Santos-Funes, 35, and Maria Valladares, 33, were arrested this week and each charged with four misdemeanor counts of child abuse, resisting a public officer and assault on a government official. Valladares also faces a charge of malicious conduct by a prisoner, stemming from allegations that she spit at officers and inside a police vehicle.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officers went to the family’s home in the 8200 block of Mahogany Drive at 9:37 p.m. on Oct. 21. A neighbor had reported disturbing noises and activity coming from the residence.
The caller told authorities that the occupants appeared to be performing “black magic rituals,” burning items and screaming loudly. The neighbor also reported that the children’s mother appeared to have been assaulted, saying her face looked “black and purple,” according to the affidavit.
As officers approached the house, they heard screaming and saw objects being thrown inside. The path to the front porch was littered with live and spent .22-caliber ammunition, broken objects and drops of blood, police said.
Officers described extensive damage inside the home. The affidavit said that “nearly every piece of decor/furniture had been destroyed,” while glass and other sharp objects were scattered throughout the residence. Police also reported finding large knives, blowtorch-style lighters and other dangerous items within easy reach.
The parents gave investigators conflicting explanations for the destruction. They first said they had been cleaning, then claimed that other people had entered the house and caused the damage.
During the encounter, Santos-Funes allegedly behaved erratically, attempting to rub garlic on officers and on a Bible. Valladares was speaking rapidly and angrily, police said. The father then allegedly sprayed one of the children repeatedly with cologne.
FIND OUT MORE: NFL Legend Eric Dickerson Sues School Over Son’s Alleged Racist Abuse
Santos-Funes also allegedly moved toward a large butcher knife on the kitchen table before officers ordered him to step away. At the same time, one child told police that she was scared and did not feel safe in the house, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit said the situation escalated as officers tried to intervene and take the parents into custody.
Police alleged that Santos-Funes began throwing cloves of garlic at an officer. When the officer moved to detain him, Valladares allegedly grabbed the officer around the neck. Both parents then resisted arrest and assaulted officers, according to the document.
Valladares allegedly attempted to bite an officer in the leg while police were handcuffing Santos-Funes. After officers brought her outside to the police vehicles, she allegedly spit at them and continued spitting inside one of the vehicles.
The affidavit lists four children—ages 14, 11, 5 and 3—as victims. Santos-Funes and Valladares were processed at the Mecklenburg County jail.
Both parents are also subject to Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds, records show. Officials said they could not determine whether either parent is legally in the United States.
Santos-Funes and Valladares are scheduled to return to court on Nov. 13.
The post North Carolina dad allegedly threw garlic and sprayed children with cologne as mom bit and spat at officers responding to abuse call first appeared on Law & Crime.
