FRESNO, CA. (THECOUNT) — California State Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula, of Fresno, was arrested on suspicion of “willful cruelty to a child,” a misdemeanor after administering punishment to his 7-year-old daughter that left her with visible injuries.
Arambula, 41, claims injuries left on his young daughter were caused by a spanking on her “buttocks.” But Fresno’s police chief says otherwise and apparently has evidence to prove his case.
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“The injury in this case is not on the buttocks,” Chief Jerry Dyer said during a recent presser.
Arambula, a Fresno physician and Democrat politician, was released from custody after being booked into the Fresno jail on child abuse charges after police charge he crossed a line while disciplining the young girl.
The 31st Assembly District representative says he only intended to discipline his 7-year-old daughter with a legal spanking – as a controlled spanking of your child is legal in all 50 states – However, visible injuries to the child observed by school administrators forced them to contact Child Protective Services.
School staff members observed injuries on the girl’s body not consistent with a traditional spanking. The child admitted to administrators that her father administered the injuries the night before while at their Fresno home.
Authorities have not made clear where the child was injured or the extent of those injuries.
Arambula, a physician from Kingsburg and the son of a former legislator, was first elected in 2016 to represent the 31st Assembly District in the Central Valley. He is the first Latino physician elected to the California State Assembly, according to his website.
“Arambula believes health care is a fundamental human right. Since his election, he has been a forceful advocate in addressing the dire shortage of doctors and other health care professionals in the Central Valley. He has authored legislation that improves health and mental health services, but he also has been vigilant to include measures that ensure transparency regarding management of these services and their costs,” the Democrat says on his website.
Arambula and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Fresno with their three daughters, all under the age of 7.
The children were removed from the home by Child Protective Services and returned several days later, according to records.
Arambula’s attorneys said the children were returned to their parents two days after the father’s arrest after Child Welfare Services determined there were no concerns about abuse. If convicted, Arambula could face a year in jail.source
Although spanking is legal in all 50 states, if it crosses the line into “cruelty” or “abuse,” it becomes a crime with potentially harsh punishments for the parent involved.
Fresno is a city in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Created in the early 1900s, Forestiere Underground Gardens consists of Roman-catacombs-inspired subterranean passages and courtyards. Fresno Chaffee Zoo has sea lions and a stingray touch pool. Sprawling, trail-lined Woodward Park is home to the Shinzen Japanese Garden. The city is a base for Yosemite National Park, with its waterfalls and giant rock formations, according to wikipedia.