ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Albuquerque
police officer Jennifer Jara and Lt. Natalie Sanchez have been suspended
because of the way they handled a 2012 incident involving Omaree Varela, Target
7 has learned.
Jara was suspended for 40 hours
and Sanchez was suspended for eight hours. Their suspensions include additional
classroom time and further training on child abuse laws.
Jara responded to Omaree's
school in October 2012 after he told a teacher told his mother beat him with a
phone and belt.
Jara went to Omaree's school
and wrote a report on the incident and notified the Children, Youth and
Families Department. But disciplinary paperwork obtained by Target 7 said there
were problems with the way evidence was processed in the case. There were also
issues with the followup in the case.
Omaree was killed in December
2013. Police have charged his mother Synthia Varela Casaus in connection to his
death.
The October 2012 call was one
of three confirmed incidents where police investigated suspected abuse of
Omaree.
The police officers' union told
Target 7 they have not been asked to speak on behalf of Jara and Sanchez.
Jara and Sanchez are the latest
officers to be disciplined for their actions in the numerous incidents
involving Omaree.
Last week, Target 7 learned
Officer Gil Vigil was fired and Officer Scott McMurrough was suspended after
they were called to Omaree's home following an open 911 call in June 2013.
A dispatcher urged them to
listen to 911 audio but they didn't. When they got there, they spoke to Omaree,
Varela-Casaus and the boy's stepfather, Steve Casaus.
The officers' lapel video from
the incident is 15 minutes long, but the officers were logged out on the call
for nearly two hours.
Their sergeant Bruce Werely
received a letter of reprimand in his personnel file.