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Mother gets 50-day jail term for neglecting child
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Posted on Nov 29 2005
The Superior Court yesterday imposed a 50-day jail term on a woman accused of neglecting her minor daughter who ended up being molested by former Tinian Municipal Council Chairman Ignacio A. Cabrera.
Associate Judge David A. Wiseman sentenced Lea Mendiola to three years in prison, all suspended except 50 days.
Wiseman gave Mendiola credit for the time she already served in jail.
The judge placed the defendant on four years of supervised probation and required her to pay a $25 fine and $25 in court assessment fee.
Mendiola was ordered to undergo counseling evaluation at the Community Guidance Center and complete a parenting counseling at the Division of Youth Services.
The defendant was charged with two counts of child neglect. She and counsel signed a plea agreement with the government and pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect.
The factual basis of the agreement stated that on July 5, 2005, “the defendant negligently failed to provide [her child] who was in her custody with adequate supervision, resulting in the child’s mental or physical health being threatened.”
The defendant took the minor to the home of Cabrera and left her alone with him, court documents said.
Mendiola brought the child despite court orders requiring Cabrera to have no contact with the girl because he was accused of repeatedly molesting her.
The woman has a pending case in federal court, the prosecution said.
Wiseman earlier sentenced Cabrera to four years and nine months imprisonment over the molestation and criminal contempt charges.
