Former Goodyear employee guilty of child abuse

8/24/2012

Brent Whiting

staff writer

A former Goodyear worker and his wife were placed behind bars after a jury found them guilty in a child-abuse case.

Raul Varela, 43, the city's former engineering director, and his wife, Tricia, 42, were remanded to a Maricopa County jail while awaiting sentencing Sept. 17.

Under Arizona law, they are facing the possibility of lengthy prison terms.

Raul Varela lost his Goodyear job in June 2009 after he and his wife were accused in the alleged beating of their 4-year-old adopted daughter.

Following a 13-day trial, Raul Varela was found guilty earlier this month of two counts of intentional or knowing child abuse, court records show.

Tricia Varela was found guilty of reckless child abuse and two counts of intentional or knowing child abuse.

Following the Aug. 14 verdict, Judge Pamela Svoboda of Maricopa County Superior Court revoked their release from custody, according to court records.

A mistrial was declared after an earlier 14-day trial ended March 29 when jurors were unable to reach a verdict on all of the criminal charges in the case.

Tricia Varela was found guilty of one count of reckless child abuse, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the other charges, prosecutors said.

The Varelas were arrested in June 2009 after Goodyear police responded to a call at West Valley Hospital, where the child was being treated for injuries, including body bruising, investigators said.

Raul Varela soon was placed on paid administrative leave from his $121,436-a-year city job, but later fired.

Child Protective Services, a state agency, intervened and took custody of the injured girl as well as five other Varela children, three of them adopted.

Brent Whiting can be reached by email at bwhiting@westvalleyview.com.