Utah father now accused of abusing 2 teen girls
by Pat Reavy ksl · KSL.comEAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain father accused of abusing a teenage girl is now accused of also abusing the girl's older sister.
Julio Cesar Mena, 51, was charged earlier this week in 4th District Court with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony. He is accused in that case of forcibly shaving off his 14-year-old daughter's hair because he was angry with her grades at school.
When questioned by police, Mena claimed he did the same thing to his oldest daughter, "and it fixed the problem," a police booking affidavit says.
On Thursday, the Utah County Sheriff's Office announced that Mena is now also being held in jail for investigation of aggravated child abuse and another crime in connection with a 17-year-old girl.
The girl told police that a couple of years ago, "Mena physically restrained her, dragged her around their residence in Eagle Mountain by her hair, and used electric hair clippers to shave her head nearly bald. The victim advised Mena told her he cut her hair because he wanted her to feel ashamed, embarrassed, and wished for her to be bullied by her classmates at school," a new police booking affidavit states.
"She mentioned that she stopped eating food and started losing weight due to a fear of having to interact with her father while preparing meals in the kitchen at their residence. The victim also advised she became extremely fatigued due to a lack of sleep as a result of trying to stay awake just in case her father entered her room to throw cold water on her randomly," the affidavit states.
The teen also revealed an additional incident of abuse in 2021, according to the affidavit.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
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Pat Reavy
Pat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.