Third charged in abuse case

TEXICO -- The case in which Jamye Kushman, 37, and Jamie Sena, 29, each face 23 counts of child abuse has now expanded to include a third suspect, Lora Melancon, 41.

Melancon was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with four counts of intentional child abuse with no death or great bodily harm and one count of conspiracy to commit abuse of a child (does not result in death or great bodily harm) in the case involving the home at 236 CR 8.5 in Texico.

Melancon got out of jail Sept. 7 on $5,000 bond. Her next court appearance is a preliminary examination set for 10 a.m. Sept. 29 in Curry Magistrate Court before Magistrate Judge Janemarie Vander Dussen.

Melancon was a seasonal employee of the city of Clovis Parks and Recreation Department from May 23 of this year to Aug. 3. Her job was youth programs coordinator, according to Clovis’ Human Resources Director Cindy Wentworth.

As for Melancon’s performance on the job, Wentworth said, “We received no complaints regarding Lora Melancon.”

Ninth Judicial District Attorney Brian Stover said, “We’re still pulling information. Right now I don’t have any information that anybody was concerned about her when she was in that (city) role.”

According to court documents, incidents involving Melancon happened in 2020 at the home while the incidents involving Kushman and Sena allegedly happened this year.

Kushman and Sena will be tried in Ninth Judicial District Court, and they will remain in custody until trial.

Preliminary hearings Sept. 2 included video clips depicting acts that led to felony allegations against Kushman and Sena.

All of the charges of child abuse not resulting in death or great bodily harm filed against both are third-degree felonies, which could bring three years in prison, a fine as high as $5,000 and a complete program of professional counseling at the offender’s expense. Both were also charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse, a fourth-degree felony, punishable by 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Stover presented the same videos in both cases for the prosecution, including the video clips, to District Judge Benjamin Cross in Sena’s case and District Judge Drew Tatum in Kushman’s case.

Stover said all the children are in foster care.

It’s his understanding all were being homeschooled when law enforcement discovered the alleged abuse.