Court Holds Parents Charged with Dog Collar Child Abuse

The defense and prosecutor flung claims and counter claims around in Danbury Superior Court Wednesday as Judge Andrew Roraback issued protective orders against both parents accused in a child abuse case. Both parents remain in custody on high bonds.

The parents, Eduardo Montanez and Paula Montanez, both of Kohanza Street, Danbury, stand accused of using a dog collar to discipline the mother's 9-year-old daughter.

The case is a desperate cry for attention by a 9-year-old girl, said Waterbury Attorney Robert Kolesnik Jr., who said in court he was representing Eduardo Montanez on the bond hearing only and on the family's pending case with the state Department of Children and Family. He said outside court the DCF case is the same case the parents are now charged with in Danbury.

The Danbury charges arose after a Danbury Public Schools employee told the state Department of Children and Family about the suspected abuse. Both Danbury Police and employees of DCF investigated.

Danbury Police received arrest warrants on Tuesday charging Eduardo Montanez, 43, with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, third-degree assault and cruelty to persons. He was held on a $250,000 bond.

Assistant State's Attorney Coleen Zingaro, speaking at Wednesday's probable cause hearing, said Eduardo Montanez used several names, aliases and social security cards, and tracking him down took time. She said he used two names and three social security numbers with his Danbury employer.

"The defendant has used multiple, multiple, multiple aliases," Zingaro said. "It's been very difficult to verify his identity."

Zingaro said Eduardo Montanez has a criminal history in Florida and New York for battery, drug trafficking, cocaine and marijuana possession. She said his bond should be kept high for that reason.

"I want to know if these things are true, if he has multiple arrests, where is the evidence," Kolesnik asked. He said no, this is a mistake. He said his client told him he had no prior record and these allegations are not true. Kolesnik said he was briefly shown evidence of his client's crimes by the assistant state's attorney, but he needed more time to analyze it.

Judge Roraback said the bond hearing is not designed to try the case. He said there was probable cause to hold both parents on the charges, and he said there is no reason to reduce their bonds.

Police charged Paula Montanez, 34, of Kohanza Street, Danbury, with two counts of risk of injury to a minor, conspiracy to commit third-degree assault and conspiracy to commit cruelty to persons. Paula Montanez was held on a $200,000 bond.

Judge Roraback held both defendant3s on their original bonds. He sealed the arrest warrants in the case and the DCF file is sealed.

This information was gathered at Danbury Superior Court and from the Danbury Police Department. A person charged with a crime is innocent until having been convicted in court.