Police say they’ve arrested a fifth family member of a 14-year-old girl whose cousins are accused of beating her to abort the baby.
Robert Joseph Cayald, 22, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. He is being held in the Dallas County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Robert Joseph Cayald, 22, is accused of raping the teen.
From left: Cedric Jones, Sharon Jones, Cecila McDonald and Lonnell McDonald all remain in the Dallas County Jail on $150,000 bail. All are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.
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Deputy Chief Gil Garza said the family members who “took matters into their own hands” to abort the unborn child were cousins of the teen, who is now 16. He did not say how Cayald was related to the girl.
Garza said the teen moved out of her cousins’ house to live with a friend after she recovered from the beating. She is now being cared for by state Child Protective Services.
“We commend the victim for her bravery for coming forward to report this unbelievable crime,” he said.
CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said the agency has no previous history with the family.
She said in addition to the 16-year-old girl, six other children were taken into CPS custody Tuesday. They were the girl’s 15-year-old brother and 14-year-old sister and Cecila McDonald’s four children: a 9-year-old girl, 7-year-old girl, 6-year-old boy and 3-year-old boy.
Fifth family member arrested after Dallas teen’s forced abortion is charged with sex assault of a child | | Dallas Morning News