A 7-year-old boy told an employee at Skyview Elementary School that his father hit him, then pleaded with staff not to call the Department of Child Safety, according to police. That disclosure set off an investigation that ended with the arrest of 24-year-old Martin Vaughn on Friday, Oct. 30, on charges of aggravated assault and child abuse.
Police said the boy told the school employee, “my dad hit me” and later said, “my dad keeps smacking me, don’t call DCS,” according to Arizona's Family. DCS refers to Arizona's Department of Child Safety. Officers said Vaughn struck the boy on the cheek and ear because his shirt was backward while he was getting ready for school.
Court Paperwork Details a Pattern of Alleged Abuse
Court paperwork described other occasions when the boy said Vaughn hit him with a belt and with an object the boy called a “spring,” which he compared to an extension cord. Police described Vaughn as having a history of abuse after speaking with the boy’s mother and DCS. In January, police said the boy told his mother that Vaughn starved him and whipped him with chains, and about a month before his arrest, the boy said Vaughn punched him and gave him a black eye.
Police also said the boy has a developmental delay and suffered a skull fracture and traumatic brain injury at 6 months old while he was in Vaughn's care. Doctors who examined him at the time discovered that both his arms and legs were broken.
Vaughn's Account to Detectives
Vaughn told detectives he yelled at the boy and said he “couldn't control my anger.” He reportedly said the mark on the boy's face came from being hit with a seat belt. Vaughn was booked into jail on one count of aggravated assault and one count of child abuse, with his bond set at $10,000.
Under Arizona law, A.R.S. § 13-3623(F)(1) says that “abuse” when used in reference to a child means abuse as defined in A.R.S. § 8-201, subject to an exception for acts made unlawful by another statute. Aggravated assault charges stem from § 13-1204, which elevates an assault to aggravated status under specific circumstances listed in that statute. A related statute, § 13-3620, defines child abuse by pointing back to the same § 13-3623 provision.
Another Peoria Child-Abuse Case Moving Through Court
Vaughn's arrest comes weeks after prosecutors detailed a separate Peoria child-abuse case involving two young sisters. In that case, a father and stepmother, identified as Jose and Jennifer Carrillo, face charges after police said they tied up, tortured, and neglected the man's two daughters, with the allegations reportedly dating back to June 2025. Court documents in that case said a 9-year-old was left on a second-story balcony for four hours without food or water when it was 104 degrees, as punishment. Both Carrillos face two counts of class two child abuse, and Jennifer Carrillo faces an additional count of unlawful imprisonment.
