Woman charged with child abuse, boiling puppies seeks release from jail
The woman is being held on $50,000 bond
- Martha Crouch, 53, is accused of felony counts of child abuse and extreme cruelty to animals along with a misdemeanor count of obstruction of investigation of child abuse.
- The July 9 motion filed in Martha's case seeks to release her from her $50,000 cash at 10 percent bond and allow her to be released from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on her own recognizance with an ankle monitor bracelet.
- Both the prosecution and Aztec Magistrate Court Judge Trudy Reed-Chase believe Martha is a flight risk.
FARMINGTON — The woman accused of boiling puppies alive and abusing her teenage daughter has filed a motion to be released from jail claiming lack of medical treatment.
Martha Crouch, 53, is accused of felony counts of child abuse and extreme cruelty to animals along with a misdemeanor count of obstruction of investigation of child abuse.
Crouch's 17-year-old daughter accused her mother of beating her with a kitchen tool, shooting the teen's dog and cooking multiple puppies on the stove of their Crouch Mesa residence, according to The Daily Times archives.
During an investigation by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, several of the family's 15 children levied neglect and child abuse allegations against their parents.
As of July 10, charges only stem from allegations made by one of the family's children.
Martha's husband, Timothy P. Crouch, is accused of interfering with an New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department investigation by hiding his wife and four minor children from CYFD investigators.
Their son, Timothy J. Crouch, is accused of three felony counts of aggravated assault for threatening to shoot three of his brothers over an argument involving hot dogs.
The July 9 motion filed in Martha's case seeks to release her from her $50,000 cash at 10 percent bond and allow her to be released from the San Juan County Adult Detention Center on her own recognizance with an ankle monitor bracelet.
The motion was filed by Martha's attorney, Eric Morrow, and is opposed by the prosecution.
Morrow told The Daily Times the allegations against his client are completely and unequivocally false, adding they are from "the august imagination of a teenager."
The attorney met with a doctor of Martha's on July 3, according to the motion.
Martha has been diagnosed with blood clots and hypoxemia, or low oxygen in the blood, for which she is prescribed medication.
Morrow states in the motion that Martha is not receiving treatment for her hypoxemia and she is claiming severe headaches and other medical issues due to lack of treatment.
The suspect is being treated for her blood clots.
It also states Martha has no criminal history in New Mexico and no other material criminal history.
Both the prosecution and Aztec Magistrate Court Judge Trudy Reed-Chase believe Martha is a flight risk, according to court documents.
The arrest warrant affidavit for husband Timothy states their family has a history of fleeing an area when law enforcement or child protective services became involved.
Martha's arrest warrant affidavit includes information stating CYFD has received hundreds of pages of reports from social service agencies in multiple states including Montana, Missouri, Kansas and Alaska.
Morrow wrote he believes an ankle monitor bracelet will address Martha's issue of being a flight risk.
The motion states her husband provides care for her, as she is "in a wheel chair."
Martha's preliminary hearing is scheduled for the morning of July 11 in Aztec Magistrate Court.
Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.
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