Albuquerque foster mother facing child abuse charge

A second foster mother this summer has been charged with abusing a child in her care.

The foster mother, Johnnie Denise Douma, 47, is facing one count of child abuse after an exam showed the 4-year-old boy sustained “severe bruising” behind both of his ears.

The boy, born drug-exposed, went into cardiac arrest in March 2023 after a near-fatal fentanyl ingestion, according to an Albuquerque police report.

He was one of five foster children staying at Douma’s home, said Jessica Preston, a spokesperson for the state Children, Youth, and Families Department, in an email. Douma was licensed for four children; “however, the placement of a sibling group resulted in one child over capacity,” Preston added.

Douma has been a licensed foster parent since February 2023. Her defense attorney couldn’t be reached Wednesday afternoon.

Court and police records show that a CYFD caseworker who responded to the initial call learned from Douma that the boy fell while she was trying to give him a bath and she accidentally grabbed his ear. And, she said, a 4-year-old girl in the home caused the injuries to his opposite ear, police reported.

But the boy, “initially when asked about these injuries, reported that Mama Johnnie (the foster mother) did it,” states the criminal complaint filed by Albuquerque police.

The boy “was then left in care of the same (foster) family for two more days,” states the complaint. By that time, he provided “a changed history that younger sister caused ear injuries, but does not provide any further detail.”

The boy added that he and the other children in the home were spanked “if they have toileting accidents.”

After the boy was taken to the University of New Mexico pediatric clinic for an evaluation, the complaint states, a medical provider told police the injuries were “highly concerning for physical abuse” and that “a same age sister causing the significant injuries is unlikely.”

The injuries were attributed to “forceful trauma to the ears” such as pinching, striking, or pulling, according to a medical exam performed June 6, court records show.

The medical evaluation caused Albuquerque Police Department officers to return to the foster home to remove the children “for safety reasons,” the complaint states.

After their removal, the boy and another foster child disclosed that Douma “pinched” the boy’s ear, court records state. Douma was arrested Aug. 16 and was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center as of Thursday evening.

Preston told the Journal that “CYFD takes every allegation of abuse or neglect seriously — including this one. We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children in our care.”

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Denise Vazquez-Browley is facing a charge of child abuse resulting in death after a 10-month-old foster child died in her care. Police were called to the foster home near Paseo del Norte and Wyoming on June 16 because the child was reportedly having a seizure.

The baby died four days later.