Ex-Goodyear official's trial set in potty-training abuse case

by Jackee Coe

The Arizona Republic

Goodyear's former engineer director and his wife will go on trial June 28 to face accusations they abused their adopted daughter while potty-training her, a year after their indictment, according to Maricopa County Superior Court records.

Raul Varela, 41, and Tricia Varela, 40, were indicted on June 24 on six counts each of felony child abuse, court records show. If convicted, they could face 10 to 24 years in prison, according to the Arizona Revised Statutes.

The couple was arrested on April 28 after Tricia Varela brought their daughter, then 4, to West Valley Hospital in Goodyear early that morning with two broken legs and a broken arm, according to a Goodyear police report.

They have since been released, but are prohibited from having unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 18, court documents state.

On June 3, Goodyear fired Raul Varela from his $121,000-a-year post as engineer director, which he had held since September 2006, city officials said.

Tricia Varela initially took the girl to the hospital about 12:30 a.m. April 28 for abdominal pain, but doctors discovered severe bruising on her legs, arms, upper and lower back, abdomen and head, as well as what appeared to be a broken arm.

Deemed to be in critical condition, the girl was taken to Maricopa Medical Center's Pediatric Unit, the report states. Further examination revealed the girl had abdominal bruising on both sides of her body extending to her lower back. She also had two broken legs and a fracture to her upper right arm.

The Varelas told police they caused the girl's injuries on April 25 during a "potty-training war," the report shows. They said they forced her on the toilet by restraining her with her hands held behind her back, pushing on her stomach, back and legs, and pushing her head down between her legs.

The girl was released from the hospital almost two months later and placed into the care of Child Protective Services, police said.

There were six children living with the couple: Two biological sons, ages 7 and 9, and four adopted daughters, ages 2 to 8, including the victim. They also are in the care of CPS.