A Pueblo West man faces child abuse charges after school officials noticed injuries on his 7-year-old child, leading to his arrest by Pueblo County Sheriff's School Resource Officers. On Monday, staff at a local District 70 elementary school raised concerns about possible child abuse inflicted by the father, which were observed when the child disclosed their injuries to a school employee. Following policy as a mandatory reporter, the employee alerted law enforcement.
The SROs launched an immediate investigation, which revealed visible injuries on the child. After medical treatment at a local hospital, the child was released to a parent. Ulysses Kropf-Castillo, 35, was subsequently arrested and booked into Pueblo County Jail, as reported by the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. This arrest marks the third in five days by the Sheriff’s Office involving child abuse cases.
District 70 Superintendent Ronda Rein expressed the district's stance on such incidents, stating, "Pueblo County School District 70 takes all reports of child abuse seriously. The safety and wellbeing of our students are our highest priorities," as obtained by Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. Rein reinforced the school's commitment to student safety and their cooperation with law enforcement to address suspected abuse or neglect, aligning with Colorado law.
Pueblo County Sheriff David J. Lucero also spoke on the matter, highlighting the distressing nature of these cases and praising the efforts of both the SROs and school staff. "These are very disturbing and unfortunate incidents involving the abuse of children in our community," Sheriff Lucero said, as per Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. He reminded community members to seek help if experiencing stress or challenges to prevent abusive situations. Lucero added resources for those in need, urging them to call for assistance to avoid potential abuse.
