In a recent court case in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Saul Lucio-Ipina, a 30-year-old man, entered a plea of no contest to charges of torture. The plea followed a harrowing testimony from his former wife, who detailed the severe abuse she suffered during their marriage. Lucio-Ipina was facing charges stemming from two separate incidents that occurred in the basement of their home in the past year.
The woman, now divorced from Lucio-Ipina, shared the terrifying abuse she experienced during their marriage with the jury. She described an incident in January 2023 when Lucio-Ipina accused her of being unfaithful. He coerced her into the basement where he had prepared a bucket and a rope hanging from a ceiling beam. He forced her to stand on the bucket and placed the rope around her neck. She fell off the bucket at one point, hanging in the air before Lucio-Ipina took her down.
A few months later, during another dispute about infidelity, Lucio-Ipina once again led her to the basement. This time, he forced her into a children’s swing hanging from the ceiling. She testified that he tied her with rope and metal wire, making it impossible for her to escape. The abuse intensified when Lucio-Ipina connected jumper cables to the exposed wire, electrocuting her. She told the jury that he would shock her whenever she responded or failed to respond to a question.
Lucio-Ipina reportedly kept her restrained for five hours before finally releasing her. She reported the incident to the police a few days later, leading to Lucio-Ipina’s arrest.
Angela Curtis, Kent County Assistant Prosecutor, characterized the incidents as clear-cut torture in her opening statement. She asserted that Lucio-Ipina’s intention was to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible.
By the end of the first day of opening statements and testimony, Lucio-Ipina decided to plead no contest to two counts of torture and witness interference. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such during sentencing. Lucio-Ipina’s sentencing is scheduled for October 28.