THIENSVILLE, Wis. — A Thiensville woman is facing several charges, including physical abuse of a child, child neglect, and battery, after prosecutors say she and her children spent 10 hours in 0-degree weather.
Angelica Saragosa, 47, has been charged with the following:
- One count of physical abuse of a child – recklessly causing bodily harm by conduct that creates a high probability of great bodily harm
- Two counts of neglecting a child – consequence is bodily harm
- One count of misdemeanor battery, domestic abuse surcharge
- Two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, domestic abuse surcharge
The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. near Crescent Lane and Oakwood Drive in Thiensville.
According to a criminal complaint, Saragosa struck her boyfriend, with whom she lived in the home with his father and her two kids, repeatedly in the face, causing a laceration to his upper lip and temporarily causing him to lose sight in his left eye.
That’s when prosecutors say the father of the victim called police, prompting Saragosa to take her children and flee the home.
A search was launched, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, after the responding officer was unable to locate the children or Saragosa.
The search lasted for hours, with prosecutors saying the weather at the time was 0 degrees Fahrenheit between midnight and 8 a.m.
Saragosa Arrested
Police arrested Saragosa at a good Samaritan’s home after the homeowner called police and said she had let the woman and her children inside that morning. Saragosa told the homeowner they had been outside all night.
The officer observed the children shivering uncontrollably and inadequately dressed for the weather. One of the children was unresponsive when spoken to, trembling uncontrollably, with his pants and shoes completely wet and a smell of urine, according to the complaint.
The other child, a 5-year-old girl, was observed spilling snacks out of a snack bag due to her severe trembling. The children were taken to the hospital for medical treatment for extremely low body temperature and carbon monoxide exposure.
Saragosa told police that she and her children had been outside for the last 10 hours and that they ran through backyards and hid until “she did not hear police anymore,” before returning to the outside of her boyfriend's home and curling up next to the furnace exhaust vent.
The children remained hospitalized as of the drafting of the criminal complaint, which was filed on Feb. 21.
Out on Bail at Time of Incident
According to the complaint, at the time of the incident, Saragosa was out on bail after being charged with a misdemeanor offense of disorderly conduct and domestic abuse and was released from custody under the conditions that she had no contact with her boyfriend or his father, and that she had to maintain absolute sobriety and commit no new crimes.
What's next
She's scheduled for a status hearing on March 13. Her bond is set at $100,000, according to court records.
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