A charge of abuse of a child has been filed in Aztec Magistrate Court following a reported incident involving a 5-month-old at a Bloomfield laundromat, according to a Statement of Probable Cause.
The case stems from a Feb. 25 response by Bloomfield police to Betty P’s Laundromat, 325 N. 1st St., in reference to possible child abuse. The Statement of Probable Cause indicates the defendant was arrested without a warrant.
Dispatch and Witness Statements
According to the statement filed by Bloomfield Police Officer Chase McDonald, officers were dispatched at approximately 2:50 p.m. to Betty P’s Laundromat in reference to a possibly intoxicated female hitting an infant.
The officer wrote that upon arrival he observed a woman later identified as Kristy Rafael sitting on the floor, while an employee was holding a male infant identified in court records as 5 months old.
According to witness statements summarized in the affidavit, the defendant stood over the infant, who was in a baby carrier, and shoved him back into the carrier as he was crying. A witness reported that the defendant slapped the infant in the face with an open hand.
Another witness told police she heard the defendant use profanity toward the infant and observed her slap him hard in the buttocks and back several times. The witness also reported seeing the defendant fall to the ground while holding the infant.
Officer Observations and Arrest
The officer wrote that the defendant was having difficulty speaking, was slurring her words and emitted an odor of an alcoholic beverage. According to the statement, the defendant initially refused to provide her name.
The affidavit states that when officers attempted to place her hands behind her back, the defendant resisted by becoming dead weight, stiffening up and wrapping her legs around a table and chairs next to her. After what the officer described as a struggle, officers were able to pull her hands behind her back and place her in handcuffs.
According to the statement, after being placed in the patrol unit, the defendant continued to resist by putting her foot in the door so it could not close. The officer reported he was able to move her foot clear of the door and secure it.
The defendant was transported to the San Juan County Adult Detention Center. During a search by corrections officers, an identification card was located, which the officer stated was the only way he was able to identify her.
Charges Filed
- Abuse of a child
- Resisting, evading or obstructing an officer
- Concealing identity
- Disorderly conduct
Case Status
The charges were filed in Aztec Magistrate Court on Feb. 26, 2026, according to court records.
The filing follows a separate Farmington DWI and child abuse case in which court records detail allegations involving a young child during a traffic stop earlier this year.
Source
Statement of Probable Cause dated Feb. 25, 2026, filed in Aztec Magistrate Court, San Juan County.
Kristy Rafael is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges are allegations. No determination of guilt has been made.