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PD: Phoenix dad arrested after picking up child by the ears

Matthew Loren Ignacio.jpg
Posted at 2:18 PM, Sep 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-09-05 18:14:38-04

PHOENIX — A man was arrested after school officials reportedly contacted police saying that one of their students accused his step-father of abuse.

Phoenix police report that on August 28, they responded to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School near 24th Street and Indian School Road for reported child abuse.

A six-year-old reported to school officials that his step-father, 26-year-old Matthew Loren Ignacio, picked him up by the ears and threw him to the kitchen floor.

Police say the boy had bruises to his ears and neck. The boy also said Ignacio, "whooped his ears several times."

Court records show that the boy was medically evaluated by the Phoenix Children's Hospital Child Protection Team. Doctors reported the boy had bruising to both ears as well as his back, neck, and head. The boy also reportedly suffered from internal bleeding from his ears and was scheduled for a CT scan.

Ignacio was arrested later that day and has been charged with child abuse.

If you suspect a child is being abused, the Arizona Department of Child Services has resources available to report the issue to a social worker. You can call the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline at 1-888-SOS-CHILD (1-888-767-2445), and will be asked for information about the child, as well as the nature of your concerns. You can also get more information from DCS about reporting abuse or neglect online.