Post by Jim on Jun 2, 2009 14:07:57 GMT -5
CORPUS CHRISTI — A former Child Protective Services supervisor who falsely accused a man of molestation must spend 90 days in jail as a condition of her probation.
After District Judge Tom Greenwell announced his decision Monday, a bailiff immediately handcuffed Grizelda Lopez-Hess. Her husband, Corpus Christi police detective Michael Hess, then moved to her side and kissed her goodbye.
Lopez-Hess, 38, pleaded guilty May 22 to a charge of making a false report of abuse. She said she made an anonymous call to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on Oct. 9 in which she claimed Ricardo Jimenez was molesting the daughter of the woman he was dating. She says in the phone call, played for the judge, that she learned of the abuse from her daughter, who is friends with the victim.
The problem: She made the whole thing up. She doesn’t even have a daughter.
Jimenez is a forensic interviewer with the local Children’s Advocacy Center.
The allegation launched a Child Protective Services investigation that found it was untrue.
Jimenez said the lie has embarrassed him and hurt his reputation. He said he is unsure what long-term effect it will have, but said already defense attorneys have tried to bring up the issue in unrelated criminal cases in which he is called to testify as an expert witness.
As part of a plea deal, Lopez-Hess was sentenced to two years in state jail, which was suspended for three years probation. Other conditions include that she stay away from Jimenez and his family, pay a fine, complete 100 community service hours and attend anger management classes.
But prosecutor Angelica Hernandez also had asked for the jail time saying it was likely the only way Lopez-Hess would realize the magnitude of her actions.
She characterized Lopez-Hess as a woman who carried out a cold and calculated act and manipulated the system to attack Jimenez.
“It was a very strong message that I think the community needed to hear,” she said.
Lopez-Hess’ attorney, Eric Perkins argued that jail was unnecessary and excessive.
Hess testified that his wife would be in danger if she went to jail. After her arrest last year, she was briefly in a holding cell in which two fellow prisoners recognized her as the person who took their children away.
Jail officials said she would be isolated from other prisoners for her own protection.
Lopez-Hess made the false report months after she was fired from CPS.
Lopez-Hess said she made the call the same day she found out her husband was being transferred from the family violence unit to property crimes. Both she and Hess said they believed Misty Guajardo, who is in a relationship with Jimenez, was to blame for the transfer. Guajardo, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said she had nothing to do with it. Hess and his wife say Guajardo harbored animosity for issues Hess brought up when he served on the nonprofit’s board of directors.
But prosecutors cited a disciplinary action letter to Hess in which he agreed to a transfer. That disciplinary action was prompted by allegations that he and his wife tipped off a suspect in a criminal case.
A CPS official said those allegations also were a factor in Lopez-Hess’ firing.
She and her husband said the allegations are untrue. But prosecutors pointed out the suspect, his wife and daughter all testified at his trial that Lopez-Hess had tipped them off.
After District Judge Tom Greenwell announced his decision Monday, a bailiff immediately handcuffed Grizelda Lopez-Hess. Her husband, Corpus Christi police detective Michael Hess, then moved to her side and kissed her goodbye.
Lopez-Hess, 38, pleaded guilty May 22 to a charge of making a false report of abuse. She said she made an anonymous call to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services on Oct. 9 in which she claimed Ricardo Jimenez was molesting the daughter of the woman he was dating. She says in the phone call, played for the judge, that she learned of the abuse from her daughter, who is friends with the victim.
The problem: She made the whole thing up. She doesn’t even have a daughter.
Jimenez is a forensic interviewer with the local Children’s Advocacy Center.
The allegation launched a Child Protective Services investigation that found it was untrue.
Jimenez said the lie has embarrassed him and hurt his reputation. He said he is unsure what long-term effect it will have, but said already defense attorneys have tried to bring up the issue in unrelated criminal cases in which he is called to testify as an expert witness.
As part of a plea deal, Lopez-Hess was sentenced to two years in state jail, which was suspended for three years probation. Other conditions include that she stay away from Jimenez and his family, pay a fine, complete 100 community service hours and attend anger management classes.
But prosecutor Angelica Hernandez also had asked for the jail time saying it was likely the only way Lopez-Hess would realize the magnitude of her actions.
She characterized Lopez-Hess as a woman who carried out a cold and calculated act and manipulated the system to attack Jimenez.
“It was a very strong message that I think the community needed to hear,” she said.
Lopez-Hess’ attorney, Eric Perkins argued that jail was unnecessary and excessive.
Hess testified that his wife would be in danger if she went to jail. After her arrest last year, she was briefly in a holding cell in which two fellow prisoners recognized her as the person who took their children away.
Jail officials said she would be isolated from other prisoners for her own protection.
Lopez-Hess made the false report months after she was fired from CPS.
Lopez-Hess said she made the call the same day she found out her husband was being transferred from the family violence unit to property crimes. Both she and Hess said they believed Misty Guajardo, who is in a relationship with Jimenez, was to blame for the transfer. Guajardo, executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said she had nothing to do with it. Hess and his wife say Guajardo harbored animosity for issues Hess brought up when he served on the nonprofit’s board of directors.
But prosecutors cited a disciplinary action letter to Hess in which he agreed to a transfer. That disciplinary action was prompted by allegations that he and his wife tipped off a suspect in a criminal case.
A CPS official said those allegations also were a factor in Lopez-Hess’ firing.
She and her husband said the allegations are untrue. But prosecutors pointed out the suspect, his wife and daughter all testified at his trial that Lopez-Hess had tipped them off.
