PHOENIX (AP) - A man has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after his four children were found alone in a Phoenix hotel room, police said.
They said 33-year-old Mark Armenta told officers he was only gone for 15 minutes early Saturday morning to get food.
Court records show the children in the hotel room were a 5-year-old boy, a 4-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl.
Police told Phoenix TV station KTVK that the 3-year-old boy had numerous scratches and bruises on his body plus a scab on his forehead and a large scab on his back near a shoulder blade.
When asked about the child’s injuries, police said Armenta told officers the boy had been bitten by other kids and had fallen off the counter.
But police said three of the children were interviewed by investigators and allege they were spanked by both their parents.
Armenta is facing child and vulnerable adult abuse charges, police said.
It was unclear Monday if Armenta had a lawyer yet for his case.
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