A 53-year-old New Mexico man, Lerenzo Legardy, was sentenced for whipping his stepchildren after one of them used an “Alexa” device as a speaker and the other spilled paint.
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According to KFOX, Legardy was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of parole on Thursday, July 3. This came almost two months after he was found guilty of third-degree child abuse on May 9, as per a Doña Ana County District Attorney’s Office release.
“This conviction is a reflection of the teamwork, professionalism, and compassion our staff brings to every case,” District Attorney Fernando R. Macias said at the time. “We remain committed to protecting vulnerable members of the community and holding offenders accountable for their actions, regardless of the obstacles presented during trial.”
The outlet, citing police documents, reported in June 2024 that Lerenzo Legardy had taken two of his stepchildren to their home’s garage and whipped them. He was angry after he found one of them had spilled paint. The other had used an “Alexa” device as a speaker.
Legardy used an extension cord to carry out the abuse, which left both stepchildren with bleeding welts on their arms and legs.
The children were unable to testify in court. However, their older brother managed to deliver a “courageous” account, which led to the guilty verdict. As per the district attorney’s office release, the jury deliberated for only 20 minutes.
Children’s Mother Cases
Lerenzo Legardy, however, was not the only one embroiled in legal troubles. The children’s mother, Yvonne Legardy, also faced child abuse charges, although they were eventually dismissed.
An arrest report obtained by KFOX revealed that the initial incident occurred on May 31, 2024. A 14-year-old boy, one of Legardy’s children, arrived at the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library after fleeing home. He claimed, as per the document, that his mother had allegedly hit him with a blue metal mop.
The document detailed that the boy had suffered welts that were six inches long and were cylinder-shaped. Police arrived at the Legardy home, and the mother reportedly told officers that she was searching her son for “contraband” when he took off. Officers noted the metal mop present in the garage of the home.
Days later, however, police once again arrested Legardy. A Las Cruces Police Department investigator had learned that the mother had allegedly pepper-sprayed her children.
Court documents obtained by KFOX claim that Legardy had found a vape that apparently belonged to one of her children. Then, the mother allegedly forced her two children to smoke cigarettes in her backyard. They eventually vomited, which prompted Legardy to allegedly pepper-spray them.
Both child abuse cases against her were dismissed.