Worker of Salt Lake Valley youth detention heart faces little one abuse cost after teen in custody suffers damaged arm

Salt Lake Valley Detention Center. Image: Google Streets

SOUTH SALT LAKE, Utah, Aug. 22, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) – A Salt Lake Valley Detention Center employee was charged with second degree child molestation and willful gross injury after police said he used an unauthorized breakpoint on a 16th floor -year-old boy in custody who broke the child’s wrist.

Lufusi Vea Ofa, 40, was charged in the case based on the February 16 incident.

A South Salt Lake Police Department detective checked the surveillance video of the incident involving Ofa and a boy referred to as TM in court records.

“When the children get up, Ofa enters the classroom, grabs TM by the back of his shirt, lifts him off his feet and pulls him violently to the ground,” the statement said. “TM is then handed over to another employee who is standing at the door. This employee takes TM by the neck, secures TM to the door, while Ofa takes TM’s right arm and holds it in a bent grip. “

Ofa is on hold while escorting TM to a cell, the statement said. Once in the cell, TM begins to look at and hold his arm and appears to be in pain. TM points to his arm while speaking to someone outside the room. TM lies on the floor and holds his arm. “

A medical report produced on the same day in the juvenile detention center found a “visible bone deformity” on the wrist, the statement said.

“Medical staff described the deformity as a ‘fairly obvious fracture’ and called it a ‘caretaker’ fracture because even the caretaker could see that it was broken,” the statement said. “TM complained of considerable pain. TM got a splint and ibuprofen. “

TM was rushed to the University of Utah medical clinic eight days later on February 24 of that year, the statement said.

“After an examination and x-ray, TM was diagnosed with an acute fracture of the distal radios, pain in the right wrist, pain and swelling of the right forearm, and a closed torus fracture of the distal end of the right ulna (longer forearm bone),” the statement said . Ofa was given leave on the same day, the statement said.

An internal review by Juvenile Justice Services found that Ofa TM was physically engaged, “without proper justification for using reactive physical interventions, not using trained JJS Integral Crisis Response Techniques, using an unapproved flexed wrist control technique, and Ofa It failed to set out in its incident reports exactly what happened during the incident, including the nature and extent of the injury to TM. “

Ofa’s first trial is scheduled for September 27th.