Officials Confirm AZ Teen’s Cage Death Homicide, Grandmother Indicted, Mother Awaiting Charges

Authorities in Arizona have ruled the death of a 13-year-old girl kept in a makeshift cage by her grandmother a homicide, according to officials in Tempe, as reported by The New York Post.

The case involves Melony Granados, who investigators said had the mental capacity of a 3-year-old. Police said Melony was confined in a cage-like structure inside the home of her grandmother, 55-year-old Virginia Lujan, who was indicted for child abuse earlier this year.

⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of abuse

Virginia Lujan, 55, of Arizona, has been indicted on multiple charges, including child abuse, tampering with evidence, & contributing to the dependency of a child. The charges stem from the death of her 13-year-old… pic.twitter.com/GvVvfEGZro

— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) February 9, 2025

The girl was discovered unresponsive on January 22 and died in the hospital the following day.

Court records and police affidavits state that Melony’s living conditions were extremely unsafe. The “makeshift cage” was described by authorities as resembling a bunk bed frame with the lower portion converted into an enclosure surrounded by baby gates and improvised bars.

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Officers said the cage was “full of feces and had a foul odor.” Investigators also described the rest of the home as “deplorable.”

Police said Lujan claimed the child had fallen down the stairs and that she delayed calling for help because she thought the injuries were not serious.

When Melony later became unconscious, emergency services were contacted. Investigators noted the child’s body showed multiple wounds in various stages of healing, suggesting prolonged abuse.

“The best way to describe it, it was a bunk bed, but the lower bed of that bunk was not there. And the bunk bed around the bottom was surrounded by baby cages and makeshift bars,” a Tempe police spokesperson told CBS 5.

Lujan and the girl’s mother, 33-year-old Jami Hodges, both admitted to police that Melony was kept in the cage. Hodges did not live in the home but acknowledged being aware of the conditions, according to law enforcement.

Jami Hodges and her mother, Virginia Lujan, from Tempe, Arizona, were arrested for the brutal abuse and killing of a 13-year-old girl with the cognitive development of a toddler, whom they confined in a cage, resulting in two fewer child abusers on our streets.… pic.twitter.com/lB8hdYHI1F

— AZ Annie Oakley (@AZAnnieOakley) January 23, 2025

Both Lujan and Hodges were indicted on two counts of child abuse, along with charges of tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness.

However, Lujan died in jail last month before she could stand trial. Officials said her death was from natural causes but did not provide additional details.

Hodges remains out of custody but faces pending child abuse charges. She is the mother of four other children, who have been placed in the care of the Arizona Department of Child Safety.

Investigators concluded in September that Melony’s death was the result of homicide following further review of medical reports and the conditions in which she lived.

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