Police say the investigation began after a 9-year-old girl was found at a neighbor’s patio following hours outside in extreme heat.
PEORIA, Ariz. — A Peoria father and stepmother have been arrested on felony charges after an investigation lasting more than a year into allegations that two girls were deprived of food and water, physically restrained and subjected to prolonged punishment, according to police and court records.
Jose Antonio Carrillo Ayala, 49, the girls’ biological father, and Jennifer Harrison Carrillo, 50, their stepmother, were arrested Sept. 17. Both were booked on two counts of child abuse, which authorities described as Class 2 felonies. Jennifer Carrillo also faces one count of unlawful imprisonment, a Class 6 felony. The charges are allegations, and neither defendant has been convicted in connection with the case.
The investigation began June 14, 2025, after Peoria police responded to an apartment near 83rd Avenue and Paradise Lane for a welfare check. A neighbor reported finding a 9-year-old girl hiding on his ground-floor patio after she came down from the apartment above. Court records say the girl told investigators she had been sent onto a second-story balcony as punishment and remained outside for about four hours without food or water while the temperature reached 104 degrees.
The child told police the punishment followed an incident involving the way she was holding a book. Investigators said she became hungry and thirsty and crossed from the balcony to the area below, where the neighbor found her. Officers reported that she appeared unusually small for her age and had visible injuries. Peoria Fire-Medical personnel evaluated her before she was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she remained for several days.
Medical personnel documented signs authorities said were consistent with prolonged malnutrition, neglect, physical abuse and restraint. Court records said the younger girl weighed about 43.5 pounds and was below the fifth percentile for her age. Investigators also learned that her 12-year-old sister lived in the same home. A medical examination of the older girl found injuries that police said were also consistent with prolonged mistreatment.
Detectives later alleged that the sisters had been denied adequate food and water, restricted from using a bathroom, forced to remain seated for long periods and physically restrained or struck as punishment. Court records described allegations that the girls were made to sit for extended periods on plastic lids and that the younger child was restrained at night. Police also said Carrillo Ayala acknowledged striking the children with a belt. Those claims remain allegations that will be tested through the court process.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety removed both girls from the home after the investigation began. Police said detectives spent the following months conducting forensic interviews, reviewing medical and school records, examining electronic communications and interviewing adults connected to the case. Peoria police said the length of time between the girls’ removal and the arrests reflected the work needed to collect evidence and develop probable cause.
At an initial court appearance, a prosecutor said authorities had concerns that the alleged treatment amounted to torture. An attorney representing Jennifer Carrillo denied the allegations and said Carrillo had not knowingly neglected, abused, tortured or restrained the children. The attorney also argued that Carrillo had been trying to care for children she believed had special needs. Police said neither girl had developmental delays. The defense position underscores that the accusations have not been proven in court.
Authorities said the girls’ health improved significantly after they were removed from the residence. Police reported that the younger girl gained about 27 pounds between June 2025 and March 2026, while her older sister gained about 40 pounds between June 2025 and June 2026. Court records cited by local news organizations said the children had stayed with a foster family and more recently reunited with their biological mother while remaining in Department of Child Safety custody.
Both defendants were initially held on $50,000 bonds and ordered not to contact the children, according to court reporting. The criminal cases remain pending. Authorities have not announced convictions or final findings, and the allegations against Carrillo Ayala and Carrillo will remain subject to court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated September 23, 2026.