Martha and Jose Franco Arrested for Torturing Four-Year-Old Autistic Son
In South Dos Palos, California, Martha Franco, 42 and her husband Jose were arrested for abusing their four-year-old autistic son and beating him into a coma. The mother is charged with attempted murder, child endangerment, corporal injury and battery with serious injury.
Police say the boy’s injuries are horrific and believe he was abused over the course of four weeks. The child has burns on his body and was beaten so badly, his brain was detached from his skull. The boy also had bite marks and burns from when his mother put hot toothpaste and ointment on him.
The child was born with disabilities and had just moved in with his parents after living in a group home and hospital. After seeing this story, you wonder why they let them have the boy at all.
Tags: attempted-murder, battery-with-serious-injury, beat, burns, California, child-abuse, child-endangerment, coma, corporal-injury, Jose-Franco, Martha-Franco, South-Dos-PalosRelated Stories
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15 opinions for Martha and Jose Franco Arrested for Torturing Four-Year-Old Autistic Son
Michael
May 26, 2007 at 9:42 am
I’m a single father of 3 with an 11 year old autistic son. It’s not easy parenting. Autisic kids often wind up abused because people think autism is a behavioral problem or something they can just snap out of. I don’t know how many times people have stared at me shaking their heads thinking I’m a bad parent. You can’t beat autism out of a child.
Autistic kids are probably more sensitive emotionally than non-autistic kids, they just can’t communicate their emotions. They tend to be loving, honest. loyal children and adults.
A mom of four, so far...
May 27, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I also have an autistic child; she is the second of my four young children. I agree with Michael, it definitely is NOT easy parenting. My daughter is not violent or mean but she definitely has some disturbing, and at times, irritating behaviors, i.e. she licks things, flaps her arms, has trouble sitting still, is nowhere near being potty-trained at age 4. It isn’t easy, and like Michael said, I’ve gotten some pretty dirty looks from people when my daughter melts down in public. Or when people see that she is an older child and still wears a Pull-Up. I used to be so judgmental when I saw parents out in public struggling with a child, but not anymore.
That being said, if anyone did to my daughter what these two did to that little boy, there would be hell to pay. I hope these two get a very harsh punishment for what they did to this child, who was probably very confused about what was happening to him.
Lori
May 29, 2007 at 4:19 am
Why do people keep children they obviously can’t handle? I also have a child with a form of Autism (Asperger’s). I can’t stand him to get teased at school, pushed into walls and stuff. :( I can’t imagine why anyone would try to take on this responsiblity if they can’t handle a special needs kid. People should already know if they can deal with it or not! This part breaks my heart: “The child has burns on his body and was beaten so badly, his brain was detached from his skull.”
:(
Kathy
May 29, 2007 at 4:50 am
Look at the mother’s face in her mug shot. Too late to cry now b!tch.
Poor baby. I hope he gets the loving home he deserves.
A
May 29, 2007 at 8:10 pm
Yeah now mom’s crying because she got caught. I hope prison/jail justice is in order.
NIKKI
May 30, 2007 at 4:51 am
her tears don’t affect me! I have heard that autistic children are tough to handle. Do you guys have support groups or some kind of “relief”? So that when you do get over whelmed there are hands there to help you? and thanks for the insight. Now when I am out and I see a parent struggling I wont think “they need to control that kid”. I will offer as helping hand.
Meg
May 30, 2007 at 8:02 am
Autistic kids ARE hard to handle, I’ve worked with a couple…that said—I agree with Lori…why do people keep kids they can’t handle? That poor kid…that’s terrible…I hope that “mother” cries her eyes out…wait…maybe the devil made her do it like the father and the microwave …wtf
Mom of four, so far...
May 30, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I hate to admit that I have felt embarrassed by my daughter before and I have days where I wonder why did this happen to us. I have asked myself over and over again why was our daughter born this way and why are there so many children being born with autism now.
My daughter strips her clothes off all the time and she will also stick her hands down in her private area as well. She is not violent, fortunately. She is actually a very sweet, loving child. You always read that autistic children do not like to be hugged or touched, well, that is not always true. There are some who do not like it, but my dd LOVES hugs and kisses and to be swung upside-down playfully. Some think autistic children do not smile; my dd smiles and giggles all the time.
Autistic children are in their own world, yes, but they are SO intelligent and very aware of what is going on around them. My dd has shown me that she knows a LOT even though she cannot talk.
At the same time, though, life with her is not easy. She is not a good sleeper; children with autism often are not, their sleep patterns are not like ours, and I have actually lost friends over her and had the nastiest things said to me and it really hurts me.
Jane of Shadows
May 31, 2007 at 9:04 am
Caroline Jane, can you give me a link for that story? I *have* to know if that POS mother was punished or not — so many parents who murder autistic children never pay for it. But when I googled “john harold pert”, “john pert” autism, and “sheryl pert” I got nothing relevant. Please, that story horrifies me even more than the ones I usually see on this blog.
Michael
May 31, 2007 at 9:30 am
*”mommy wants to see how cute you are” tone of voice which got John to obey,*
That sad part is if the parenting had been like that all the time things would have turned differently.
Mom of four, so far...
Jun 2, 2007 at 1:28 am
I did a search for that story and could not find it, either.
Pam
Jun 15, 2007 at 7:33 pm
The horrific stories of tortured and murdered autistic children are numours and the sentences are never ever fitting.
Kathy
Jul 31, 2007 at 5:00 am
All-The Rhonda Sue Herself IS Caroline Jane. The story can not be found because it is probably made up. I do not know why this person continues to come here. Her/his/ IT’s only reason for beinghere is to shock and horrify. Some of the language is very typical of the language this person uses in their posts on this site. PLEASE don’t take anything this person says to be truth. Do not respond to this person, do not acknowledge this person. They crave the attention. It is sad and pathetic.
rockdoll_71
Nov 15, 2007 at 4:45 am
I used to work with autistic children and I will tell you one thing: you have to be a low down piece of garbage to beat on a child like this, and his own “mother” at that!! They cannot help the way that they are. This is so sad.
A thousand years wouldn’t be enough time for these people. Sadistic fucks!
luvin_my_babies
Jun 6, 2008 at 11:48 am
I just read that the little boy came out of the coma - there was nothing said about his condition now, just that he was out of the coma and was not going to die. Here’s the link: http://www.autismconnect.org/news - and search “Martha Franco”. It should bring it up. Poor little guy - I hope he is okay and is with someone who loves him dearly!
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