TUCSON, Ariz. — The parents of an 8-year-old who died in 2022 have recently been indicted for murder and child abuse in southern Arizona.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday that 32-year-old Joshua Butcher and 29-year-old Mercedes Caho are facing criminal charges in relation to the death of their child nearly two years ago.
In August 2022, deputies in the Foothills District were dispatched to a local hospital for a report of a child death. PCSD said deputies observed "suspicious circumstances" about the incident and the agency's homicide unit was notified.
During the lengthy investigation, PCSD determined the child died from blunt force trauma to the head and upper body.
Butcher and Caho were indicted this month for first-degree murder, PCSD said.
The investigation is ongoing.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
