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Teenagers charged in 'Mortal Kombat' tragedy photo

Oh dear. When the game haters of the world hear about this one, there's going to be a field day to rival the Romans reveling over bloody crucifixions. Apparently on December 6th, 7 year old Zoe Garcia was being watched by her older sister Heather Trujillo, 16 and her boyfriend Lamar Roberts, 17. After some drinking, the two teens decided to act out the game Mortal Kombat and decided to get Zoe in on the action.

According to Heather, they were hitting and kicking Zoe while acting out the game and even dropped her on her side, breaking her wrist in the process. Roberts, who claimed to be a martial arts expert, says that Zoe asked him to stop hitting her but due to his state of intoxication he did not comply. He performed a back kick on the child, which she did not get up from. The teens tried to revive her several times and did not succeed. The cause of death was later named as "blunt force trauma" to her brain and central nervous system.

Digging into the family background is equally as upsetting as the incident itself, with many reports of previous abuse within the household. Zoe actually admitted to another babysitter that Lamar had hit her before when asked about bruises on her body. Neighbors also commented that Zoe played alone and was openly resistant to wanting to go home.

Heather and Lamar were arrested this past Tuesday on charges of child abuse resulting in death. They are currently in custody, each being held on a $100,000 bond.

I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't raved about setting these kids on fire, as I so love to do (set things on fire, not specifically kids.) I would, but our own Jonathan Holmes has a separate editorial on the subject following this news piece, so if you want to get your opinion in check it out and map out how you're feeling about this tragic turn of events.

[Via Denver Post


Continue: More WROOOOOOONG!!! stories





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76 comments | showing # 1 to 50

ShadowXOR's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:12
ShadowXOR
What the hell was electro lemon thinking?!
Macca's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:19
Macca
ShadowXOR: ElectroLemon is Jax?!?!?
witthaus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:20
witthaus
This is horrible. Give these assholes the death penalty now.
technical ta's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:21
technical ta
What the fuck.
Macca's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:22
Macca
I agree with Witthaus though. These scum don't deserve to live.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:26
Samit Sarkar
Oh, boy...I can’t wait for the shitstorm on this one.
Niero's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:33
Niero
Let's compile a check list, shall we?

Alcohol? Check.

Shitty parents? Check.

Unsupervised teens running amuck on a regular basis? Check.

References to how Rock and Roll and movies are responsible? None! Good thing video games came along!
specter620's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:40
specter620
I blame the Mortal Kombat movie.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:47
Samit Sarkar
Wait, what?

Each faces one count of child abuse resulting in death, a Class 2 felony. If convicted, the sentence can range from 16 to 48 years.

You’ve got to be kidding me. That’s it? That’s all they’re getting charged with, and that’s the worst possible consequence for them? Wow.
s0lesurviv0r's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:53
s0lesurviv0r
If they want to blame Mortal Kombat so bad, have the person flipping the switch at their execution dress up as Raiden. Seven years old, I really hope they get what's coming to them in this life and the next.
mispelt's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 01:59
mispelt
Normally, I would have some snarky comment to add, but I don't. Gas these fucks.

And if they so much as mention Mortal Kombat, a game released at roughly the time of their births, I will find and destroy both of them myself.
8BitBrad's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:13
8BitBrad
Again, people are going to blame a tragic story on video games. They will dismiss the fact that alcohol was one of the leading factors in this case (underage in fact) So, what about the parents? Also, they will dismiss the fact of past child abuse in the case.

Like Iv said and will continue to say. Video games don't make people do this. The idea has to be in their heads to begin with. If a person wants to shoot up a school or something as sad as this... They will do it and it wont take a video game to push them that far. These people are sick.

Also what happened to the justice system?
Grocerspride's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:17
Grocerspride
Drunken Stupidity and previous abuse are to blame, not games.

This poor girl died for no reason and didn't seem to be having that great of a life in the short time she was here... sometimes this world just isn't fair.
Gorelord's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:31
Gorelord
i wonder if he pretended he was Jax
ToxinBlackheart's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:31
ToxinBlackheart



The likeness is uncanny.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:36
DaedHead8
The kid claimed to be a martial arts expert, so if anything all the tae kwon do dojos around the country should be shut down before they start blaming video games for this mess. Mortal kombat taught me to do an upercut by pressing "down A" I don't remember the part in the instruction manual that told me to drop kick my girlfriends little sister.
Cloudman's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:38
Cloudman
I don't think mortal kombat ever had a 7 year old girl character.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 02:57
Necros
Niero's comment is dead-on. This is so unfortunate.
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 03:03
Boolean
That bitch is hot!
Lou Chou's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 03:31
Lou Chou
what the fuck is this, 1993? how is a Mortal Kombat reference even relevant? are they going to recall all copies of the game from circulation or something? fuck that.

like niero said, blame the real fucking problem. this video game violence bullshit is a stupid cliche for neglectful parents, and the authorities, to hide behind. in the news story the neighbour said she'd reported the abuse and fuck all came of it. it's not Midway's fault the child servies are relentlessly hopeless at their jobs.

i might just go out and stab someone, hide the body, and say I got the idea from Bewitched. "i just wanted to make something disappear like they do on the show" I'll say. we'll see what the headline reads then...
Mr Jonson's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 03:40
Mr Jonson
How drunk and bored can you be to do something like this??

Back in my day, drunk teen couples resorted to sex and getting unwanted pregnancies.
lessthan12parsecs's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 04:17
lessthan12parsecs
Lou Chou and Niero has it right on the money.

This is also one of those times I am glad I am not a cop...my gun would have "accidentally" gone off several times as these two were being handcuffed.

Where in Hades were the parent(s)? Mom or Dad or Grammie or whoever these two little morons live with will go crying to the media, holding hands with Jack-Off Thompson and blame everything under the sun...except for themselves.

Stop using video games as a crutch for being shitty parents.

lessthan12parsecs
Lou Chou's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 04:18
Lou Chou
that's still the past time here in the UK.

there's violence too, but people don't tend to go around chanting "fatality!" after they pop you in the face.
AfroJoel's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 04:18
AfroJoel
These stupid cunts should be curb stomped.
Knives's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 04:22
Knives
Fuckng Idiots, I agree with Windex, that was a perfect opportunity to have sex.
JACK of No Trades's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 06:20
JACK of No Trades
Should I say the sterotypical comment? Yes and No
cjpkiller's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 06:27
cjpkiller
odd that theyve had a history of this...
yep... all video games...
JACK of No Trades's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 06:39
JACK of No Trades
Anyways, they both need to be beat with socks filled with screws and pool balls untill they choke and die off there own blood. Fucking idiot kids.
DonofWar's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 07:06
DonofWar
These two folks were bound to kill someone at some point..robbery , crack deal, accidentally set themselves on fire.. they put a frickin raw egg in her mouth while she was unconcious...Gee, I wonder if she aspirated any of that into her lungs. Morons.. this has nothing to do with MK..this cake was baked a long time ago, by the parents.

I blame the parents. How about a rule like,, no, your 17 yr old BF cannot come over and get drunk while you savagely attack your sister.
WDot's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:07
WDot
I think 16-48 years is in the slammer is a fair punishment. Jail isn't a nice place, and gassing them is not an improvement over what they did.

As usual, I'm ready and willing to email my local news station if they overhype the video games part of the story.
winojesus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:09
winojesus
Its easy to point the finger at games, but suffice to say if the mortal kombat games weren't so shit then this would never have happened.
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:19
Snaileb
Niero pretty much sumed it up. How ridiculously stupid.
weedgan's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:20
weedgan
Hhaha,

Fatality? You bet your ass.

Best picture quote ever.
realyst's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:41
realyst
If it wasn't MK, they would have acted our some stupid horror movie or truck rally or something. Scum of the Earth.

Need to take it out on a child on account of being no good fucking cowards.

Funny how Heather is shedding a tear in the pic. No doubt 100% due to being caught and 0% remorse.
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:47
Velt
Anyone with two finger in their forehead knows that videogames here are a lame excuse made up by some shitty lawyer and fulled by media.
Drunk kids- Check.
Abuse history- check.
Violent behavior- check.
Absence of parents (if you can call that parents)- check.

Are we suprised? They are going to blame videogames for political reassons, but deep inside the know that is just a fucked up world.
MisterMingo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:50
MisterMingo
YES!! GUYS, OUR EVIL PLOT TO HAVE EVERYONE KILLED BY MORTAL KOMBAT FATALITY IS WORKING! HEIL MIDWAY, OUR DARK LORD!!

Fucking media bullshit. Unbelievable. I can't believe they're just going to gloss over the past abuse, the alcohol, and the lack of parental supervision. They'll just go straight for the gaming industry.

Fucking cowards. They're afraid to accept that some people are just not right in the head. Afraid to call out the shitty parents. Afraid to accept the reality of our world.

Oh, and the death penalty is too good for these two. That's the easy way out. There is no Hell waiting for them. They deserve to rot in prison for life. Not 16 to 48 years, LIFE. And hopefully get beaten/stabbed/raped regularly. THAT is the closest thing to Hell we've got, people.
decoyb's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:54
decoyb
Sadly there's no good way to end this. If they go to prison we pay for their food, tv, even videogames, and they come out worse than they went in. It's a good argument for the death penalty for minors though.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:56
Holyetheline
Stories like this make me want to vomit all over the place and then go into a corner and cry. It just makes me so sick and upset to hear this.
unitqm's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 08:57
unitqm
Don't comment here... we all are in agreement. Go make comments on the news site instead. Or not do what you want.
itemforty's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:03
itemforty
I... I have a soft spot for children. This is really terrible.
burglarize's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:05
burglarize
Yeah great ideas guys, someone died, let's add two more to the death toll.

There is no justice in the death sentence. Revenge is not justice.

They should've chosen Viva Pinata as the weapon of choice, at least it would've been a recent game. Plus the game encourages incest and the mindless beating of animals until they explode.
MisterMingo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:09
MisterMingo
"Sadly there's no good way to end this. If they go to prison we pay for their food, tv, even videogames, and they come out worse than they went in."

1) So what? Prison still sucks. And what, prisoners shouldn't be allowed to eat? Weak argument.

2) They can't "come out worse" if they get life and don't get out at all. That's what SHOULD happen in this case.
trunxkam45's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:43
trunxkam45
This is really terrible and tragic but I didn't hear anyone making a big fuss about the mass murdering pig farmer who fed his victims to his pigs. He was charged with SECOND-degree murder. There were witnesses, one of which saw him in his barn with a lady on a meathook. And he admitted to the crimes too.

I really don't see how videogames play a role here. This is ridiculous.
BabyRus's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:48
BabyRus
i'm feeling sick after reading that. WTF!!!!????
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:50
michiyoyoshiku
So will they be sentanced to having an MK 2 machine dropped on them or having their spines torn out?
Nassimo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 09:51
Nassimo
This is horible how can you sleep at night after doing that.

Thats gross feeding his victims to his pigs?
RskimB's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 10:09
RskimB
I feel sorry for the little girl that died.
dumb bastards
NihonTiger90's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 10:12
NihonTiger90
There was a past history of abuse here, which is gonna get completely overlooked because games are involved. They have their scapegoat.
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 10:36
Cheeburga
LOL OF COURSE IT WAS MORTAL KOMBAT AND NOT MARTIAL ARTS OR A TYPE OF FIGHTING STYLE WHICH MORTAL KOMBAT IS INFLUENCED OFF OF.
Achievement unlocked: Flawless Victory IRL.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2007 10:37
king3vbo
Niero could not have said it better.

Shitty parenting, alcohol, and fucked up kids are a combination for disaster. Dont blame this on a game, blame this on fucked up parenting
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