Parents forced 7 kids to live in filthy ‘underground caves’ while they sexually abused the eldest, DA says

A New Mexico parent was arraigned this week connected kid maltreatment charges and accusations that she and her hubby sexually assaulted their 16-year-old girl and her siblings portion “living outside, year-round” connected a 35-acre slab of onshore with “underground caves” and “filthy conditions,” according to prosecutors.

Valerie Cordell, 41, of Deming, entered a plea of not blameworthy connected Monday astatine her arraignment successful Luna County, according to online tribunal records. She is charged with 16 counts of kid abuse, 1 number of transgression intersexual penetration and 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate kid maltreatment aft being arrested successful February.

Valerie Cordell and her husband, Melvin Cordell, 50, allegedly abused their girl unneurotic and forced the teen to prosecute successful intersexual acts with her siblings successful beforehand of different adults, according to prosecutors.

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“During the 4-month investigation, agents learned that the household of 9 was surviving connected a 35-acre site, located successful a semirural information of Luna County, adjacent Deming,” the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said successful a press release announcing charges.

“Investigating officers described it arsenic an inhumane, squalid scene,” the DA’s bureau alleged. “A dilapidated trailer, respective unlivable camping trailers, broken-down vehicles, boxes of rotting food, bags of trash, on with buckets located each astir the spot filled with quality feces.”

Authorities accidental they learned of what was going connected successful October 2024 and launched their probe aft New Mexico State Police were tipped disconnected astir transgression intersexual acts allegedly taking spot astatine 225 Opatah Road successful Luna County, wherever the household lived. The mates has 7 children, ranging successful property from 6 months to 16 years old, who are present successful protective custody with the state, per the DA’s office.

“Authorities were primitively alerted astir a kid who was sexually assaulted since she was 13, implicit the people of 4 years by her father,” the bureau said. “The children were recovered successful filthy conditions, they lived outside, year-round, sleeping connected a mattress successful a semi-underground cave, with tunnels from 4 to 6 feet successful magnitude oregon took structure successful the broken-down vehicles.”

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The 16-year-old unfortunate allegedly told constabulary she had gotten large astatine slightest 2 times earlier successful the past, according to section CBS and Fox affiliate KRQE. One of the pregnancies came erstwhile she was 14 and different happened aft she turned 16, KRQE reports, citing tribunal documents.

Prosecutors person described the Cordell compound arsenic looking similar a “city trash landfill,” according to KRQE, with trash and rotten nutrient piled up everywhere, and “underground caves” with tunnels. The godforsaken scenery was besides allegedly littered with broken-down campers and cars.

Melvin Cordell is scheduled to beryllium arraigned connected May 5.