Two Seneca children removed to DSS care

Two children have been removed from their Seneca home to the care of the Department of Social Services as part of a police investigation into cruelty to children.  Chief John Covington last night announced the arrest and charges against the children’s mother and a man identified as the mother’s boyfriend.  The police charged the boyfriend, Alejandro Cervantes-Olvera with cruelty to children and the mother, Rosemary Velasquez, with falsifying a written statement and intentionally giving false information to officers.  The police released this statement:  “On 1/14/16 Blue Ridge Elementary School personnel notified a Seneca Police Department school resource officer in reference to bruising found on a student.  The SRO found that the 10 year old student had visible marks up and down the back of the body.  During the investigation it was determined that the mother’s boyfriend has excessively beaten the child with a belt. These actions did cause injury and unreasonable harm to the child….”  The police say a second child in the home at the time of the alleged incident has also been removed to DSS care.