Inset, left to right: Gabriel Antonio Santos-Funes and Maria Valladares (Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in North Carolina where the family allegedly abused their kids and assaulted police officers (Google Maps).
The parents of four children in North Carolina were arrested after the father allegedly threw garlic at police before he and his wife attacked the officers during a chaotic encounter at the family’s home.
Gabriel Antonio Santos-Funes, 35, and Maria Valladares, 33, were arrested this week and charged with four counts of misdemeanor child abuse, resisting a public officer and assault on a government official. Valladares faces an additional count of malicious conduct by a prisoner for allegedly spitting at officers and in their vehicle.
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According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded at 9:37 p.m. on Oct. 21 to the family’s residence in the 8200 block of Mahogany Drive after a neighbor called to report disturbing sounds and activity inside.
“The complainant stated that they were performing black magic rituals, they were burning things, there was loud screaming and that the female parent appeared to have been abused as her face was black and purple,” the affidavit says.
As officers approached, they heard screaming and saw items being thrown inside. Live and spent .22-caliber cartridges, broken objects and blood droplets were scattered along the path to the front porch, the affidavit states.
Inside, officers found extensive damage, the affidavit states, noting that “nearly every piece of decor/furniture had been destroyed” and “glass and sharp items [were] everywhere.” Large knives, blowtorch lighters and other dangerous items were also within easy reach, police said.
The parents provided conflicting stories, initially saying they were cleaning, then claiming other people had entered and caused the damage.
“At the same time, the adult father began acting erratically by trying to rub garlic on the responding officers as well as a Bible while the mother began speaking fast and irate,” police wrote in the affidavit. “The father then began excessively spraying down one of the juvenile children with a bottle of cologne.”
Santos-Funes allegedly moved toward a large butcher knife on the kitchen table before officers ordered him back. While that was happening, a child “stated that she was not okay and was scared to be at the house,” the document says.
The affidavit describes the ensuing confrontation.
“At the same time, the father began assaulting [an officer] by throwing cloves of garlic at him,” police wrote. “[The officer] moved to detain the father, prompting the mother to begin assaulting [the officer] by grabbing onto his neck. Both mother and father began resisting arrest and assaulting officers.”
Valladares also allegedly tried to bite an officer on the leg while officers attempted to handcuff Santos-Funes. After being taken outside to police vehicles, she allegedly spat at officers and repeatedly spat inside a police vehicle.
The affidavit identifies four children, ages 14, 11, 5 and 3, as victims. Both parents were processed at the Mecklenburg County jail.
Both parents are under Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds, records show, and officials could not determine whether either parent is in the U.S. legally.
Santos-Funes and Valladares are scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 13.
The post Garlic-throwing dad was ‘spraying down’ kids with cologne while mom spat and bit at officers responding to abuse call: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
