Foster Mom Jules Lynn Cuneo Arrested in Death of Two-Year-Old Alizé Vick
In Colorado Springs, Colorado, foster mother Jules Lynn Cuneo, 34, is being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree murder and felony child abuse in connection with the death of her two-year-old foster child, Alizé Vick. The little girl died from a blow to the head.
Cuneo called 911 and told them that Alizé was unconscious and breathing. She then told police that Alizé had fallen out of a parked SUV earlier in the day and hit her head. Then she changed her story and said that she was bouncing Alize on her lap when the child fell and struck her head and neck on the table.
Finally Cuneo admitted that she pushed the Alizé to the ground after getting angry with her. She told them she threw the girl and Alizé’s head struck a table.
Police are now looking into a series of child abuse complaints against Cuneo from as far back as 2003 including one made a couple of months after Alizé and her nine-month-old brother, Anthony, were placed in her care.
Seems that a neighbor recorded what she was hearing on her baby monitor, which was picking up what was going on over at the Cuneo home. The neighbor said she could hear Alizé screaming for Cuneo, who weighs 3oo pounds, to get off her and that she couldn’t breathe. There is no indication that this complaint was investigated.
Alizé’s grandmother, Kathleen Heil, said she had made three complaints after noticing a fat lip, a black eye, a broken tooth and bruising when she picked up Alizé and Anthony for visitations.
Why didn’t anyone take these reports seriously? Someone besides Cuneo is going to have to pay for Alizé’s death.
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19 opinions for Foster Mom Jules Lynn Cuneo Arrested in Death of Two-Year-Old Alizé Vick
Lisa
Oct 13, 2007 at 2:19 pm
How was this woman allowed to keep foster children after an abuse alligation? If I was this neighbor, I would have beat the crap out of this woman as soon as she opened her door (which I would have been at if I heard that over the monitor). With the grandmothers’ reports this should have been enough to remove these poor babies fromd this witchs custody while social services investigated.
Robot B9
Oct 13, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Along with what Lisa said: Why did this person get into the foster program when she was so obviously messed up to start with? Is the foster program so hard up they will take Dr Lecter clones?
April RJ
Oct 13, 2007 at 8:15 pm
It is about time for “the system” to be held accountable for what happens to these children when they fail to protect them. This story makes me sick. BLEH!!
itsmecathy
Oct 14, 2007 at 12:47 am
Geesh so many of these kids go from the fire to the frying pan.
Michael Anthony Douglas Tries to Kill Three-Week-Old Son
Oct 14, 2007 at 5:10 am
[…] Seems that everyone is Colorado Springs is trying to crack open their kids’ skull. […]
Kathy
Oct 14, 2007 at 7:52 am
The system that was supposed to protect this baby is just as responsible for her death as this murdering bitch. There is more than one person here that needs to do some serious jailtime.
Being a foster parent is a CHOICE. No one makes you take these kids in. You have to be a very special person to take in other peoples children, sometimes with severe health or emotional disabilities…and in alot of states the financial “compenstion” is not enough to actually cover the childs necesseties. You have to have an abundance of love and accept that the love you get in retun from these children is enough.
Now, if you can’t handle it, DON’T DO IT!!! This woman needs a severe ass whupping. Have you actually looked at how tiny a 2 year old is? She would have been no match for this 300 lb. monster. When DHS relies on privatized child placement agencies to provide their foster parents, foster parenting becomes a for profit business. It starts to be all about the $ and not about the kids. This needs to be CHANGED.
I’m am SICK of these stories already. Babies are defenseless. I hope this witch gets what she gave to this baby TIMES TEN!
Ihavekidstoo
Oct 14, 2007 at 11:38 am
OK, law or no law, if you were the biological mother in this case, wouldn’t you have taken the children and disappeared the first time you saw any sign of abuse? Then again, if she was a fit mother to begin with, her kids wouldn’t have been in foster care and under the power of this evil woman.
Oh and BTW, as a plus-size mother myself I am kinda annoyed that the stories made a point of saying she’s 300 pounds - as if her weight makes her an even worse person. For the record, a 2-year-old is in trouble when ANY adult sits on her and tries to smother her, even if that adult is only 99 pounds.
And there are plenty of large people out there who parent their kids well and lovingly … and are careful about their kids’ nutrition because they don’t want their children to end up overweight too because they know how difficult it is to be large in this society.
So can we forget the weight issue in this case and focus on the fact that this woman is a monster because of what’s on the inside, not the outside?
sfdude_2008
Oct 14, 2007 at 1:33 pm
That bitch does NOT love any of her foster children at all! She only loves herself! She should get a death penalty! Poor little baby, I hope she (the little girl) rests in peace. As for that selfish bitch, I hope she rots in hell!
Kathy
Oct 14, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Ihavekidstoo-
Sorry, but I think the fact that she weighs 300lbs DOES make a difference in this case. She sat on this baby! If a 99 lb. adult would hurt this baby, imagine what a 300lb. adult could do? 300 lbs of pressure would injure or KILL an ADULT if applied properly.
Don’t get me wrong. Being large has NO bearing on whether you are a good parent or not in my opinion. But in this case, the fact that she would use her weight to control the child is definitely a factor that needed to be mentioned. I don’t think it was a jab at plus sized parents at all.
anyway, I am in agreement about the biological parents. Looks like the grandmother was the one who regularly saw these children for visitation. I Know she reported the signs of abuse on more than one occasion, but you can’t help but wonder why SHE didn’t have the children in the first place. There is alot of background to this story I’m sure.
More than one adult failed this child. It’s inexcusable.
Robot B9
Oct 14, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Kathy: in your first post about her Choice. This is the twisted part: She made a choice to do this foster thing and this choice turned out to be a horrible mistake. Its easy now (and sad) to look back now and say that her choice was very wrong.
While she wanted to be a foster parent, a job she was obviously not well suited to do, didn’t “they” do any sort of evaluation to see if she should have been a foster parent?
Looks like what ever background check that was done was fubar.
April RJ
Oct 14, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Okay - I am by no means “thin” but I am also not 300 pounds. I agree that a 300 pound person would do more damage than a 99 pound person - But let’s face it… ADULTS SHOULD NOT SIT ON CHILDREN!!!!! Size does not determine the type of parent you are. It is mental and not physical. This woman is seriously mental. I also wonder what sort of mental evaluation the protective services does. I guess it is just like anything…If they want to fool them, they can. I am sure she was probably in it for the money. I know that they give fosters some money. I think it is supposed to go for the financial burden of the child but that doesn’t mean that they always use it for the child. There has to be a better way of weeding these sadistic assholes out. Oh…wait!! I guess they could have done that the first time they got a complaint of abuse on this bitch. I hold CPS completely responsible for this one!!!
Ihavekidstoo
Oct 15, 2007 at 3:16 am
Kathy, I agree that the fact she was willing to use her weight to control a child speaks to her character - or lack thereof - but what it says about her would be the same regardless of whether she weighed 99 lbs or 300.
Kathy
Oct 15, 2007 at 4:09 am
Robot-
From what I’ve read, this woman was described as a “professional” foster parent. It is what she did to make a living. The company that approved her was a private one that contracted with CPS. These professional foster parents are sometimes known to go rfom agency to agency until they find one that will approve them to foster. This is what I have a problem with. If someone is making money from it, it gets to be shady. anyway, they have subpoened (sp?) all her records from this firm. Unfortunately, if they find any wrongdoing or negligence on the agency’s part, the worst they will do is shut it down. It disgusts me.
Shel
Oct 16, 2007 at 9:18 am
I’m so sad for these children in this monster’s care. You know just because the other one’s were alive when intervention finally came doesn’t mean they didn’t suffer terrible abuse either at her hands or just by watching her abuse a helpless child! I hate stories like this. I would love to do foster care, but I don’t have the room in my home. I know I would be a good caregiver for children in need and it breaks my heart to know this woman was a “professional” and now she’s a “murderer”.
Kathy
Oct 16, 2007 at 9:45 am
You know Shel, I have talked to my husband many many times about being a foster parent. We have have one child through adoption (I am not able to have children) and probably will not adopt any more, but we have a large home with plenty of room. My husband will not agree to foster because he KNOWS that I would never be able to let them go. I would not be able to raise and love a child as my own, and then let them to return to a home that was deemed unfit before just because CPS feels the parents now have their act together. One of my good friends did this for many years, but had to stop once her daughters became teenagers. She said they would cry and carry on so much when the small ones had to be returned to their parents. It would take them weeks to recover. I know it would be the same for me. I’m still working on him though. I might be able to eventually change his mind.;)
April RJ
Oct 18, 2007 at 10:16 am
This is very touching - Thank God for caring selfless people!!
http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1192687436/5
Puebloans help pay for toddler’s funeral
Alize Vick, 2, allegedly died as a result of child abuse in Colorado Springs.
By GAYLE PEREZ
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
A generous Pueblo community joined together Wednesday to provide a proper burial for a 2-year-old Colorado Springs girl, who died last week allegedly as a result of child abuse.
Alize Vick, who died Oct. 10, was buried at Roselawn Cemetery in a service attended by family, friends and at least 100 others who never knew the toddler but wanted to ensure that she received an adequate funeral service.
The media was banned from attending the services.
Alize died as a result of injuries that allegedly were inflicted by her foster mother, Jules Lynn Cuneo, 34, of Colorado Springs. Cuneo has been arrested in connection with Alize’s death.
Alize’s parents, Ashley Lindenberg and Christopher Vick, both are incarcerated and were unable to pay for a funeral for their young daughter. Alize had family members living in Pueblo.
As word spread of the family’s plight, Pueblo community members stepped forth to help not only provide a dignified service and burial but also to ensure that the memory of the toddler is never forgotten.
A state victim’s compensation fund paid for the funeral service and burial. Romero Funeral and Roselawn Cemetery offered their respective services at a discounted price.
“That’s one of the greatest things about Pueblo, when there is a crisis we do come together to help,” said Angelo Romero of Romero Funeral Home. “It was great to see the support that everyone offered to this family to help them during this time of need.”
Among those who came forward to help the family was the Band of Brothers United of Pueblo motorcycle group.
The group of bikers gathered donations to purchase flowers, pay for the obituary notice and help purchase a headstone for Alize. The bikers also paid for the funeral dinner for family and friends.
“When we heard that the family needed help with the expenses for this little girl’s funeral, we didn’t hesitate to step forward and help,” said Bill Cordova, president of the local biker group. “We wanted to make sure that this little baby received the service that she deserves.”
At the funeral service Wednesday, more than 50 members of the Band of Brothers chapters from throughout Southeastern Colorado and New Mexico attended the hourlong service at the Romero Chapel.
One member of the group handed out pink ribbons for those in attendance to wear in memory of Alize, who turned 2 on May 28.
The bikers also escorted the hearse carrying Alize’s body to Roselawn Cemetery for the burial. At the cemetery, a couple of the bikers carried the small white casket to the spot where Alize’s body was buried.
The service concluded with the release of some 200 white doves, which also was organized and paid for by the biker group.
“Our common goal is to help out the community,” Cordova said in an interview before the funeral service. “When we know there is a need, we try to help out as much as we can.”
Cordova said the motorcycle group will continue to support Alize’s family and work to ensure that the toddler’s memory is kept alive.
“Now that she’s back here in Pueblo, we’re going to take care of her,” he said. “We plan to take her flowers on her birthday and make sure that she is not forgotten.”
Cordova said the Band of Brothers also is in the process of developing an Angels of Pueblo memorial for children who have died.
“She definitely will be one of the main kids on that memorial,” he said. “She’ll be in our hearts forever.”
alovingmom
Oct 19, 2007 at 5:07 pm
I wish people like that could’ve been around when the parents went away to take care of the baby girl. Or been around to teach them a better life and prevent them going away in the first place. It’s too bad we see people detiorating in society every day and most of us walk on by and then step in when it is too late. I am not saying give every bum your paycheck I am saying talk to them a while and try to get them to go to church or get a job. Avoid having these children in the system at all. In my perfect world that’s how it’d be. Boy do I live in a fantasy huh.
Pak67
Oct 21, 2007 at 10:33 am
To alovingmom, it would be a perfect world then, you are right. It just goes to show that you are a good person and that’s something to be proud of. This little girl never had the chance to experience good loving people around her. It’s a shame that she was born to irresponsible parents and taken care of by an irresponsible foster parent. It’s too bad that more people aren’t like you or hold your views. It seems like there are so many of these types of people who just dont care about anything and it’s a shame. Being good and doing the right thing feels so much better than the alternative. It’s a sad situation.
alovingmom
Oct 21, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Thanks Pak. I am by no means perfect not even close!! In fact i am going through a very rough time with singlemomdom right now and have had terrible thoughts of giving up on everything. The reason I keep pushing through is my children. They did not ask to have me for a mother, just like my oldest son did not ask to have adhd, so the least I can do is try my damnest to do right by them. And hope that it will help them to succeed where I did not. When you have undying love for a person that you brought into this world you sacrifice your life for theirs and if people aren’t ready for that there are other options. I just don’t understand how these people could hurt an innocent soul who has nothing but trust in them. I think it all boils down to selfishness, and it’s sad to know that it will just continue, and more innocent victims will be born to selfish parents.
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