Jayme Kushman and Jamie Sena Confined Children in Homemade Cages and Chains

In the summer of 2022, authorities in Texico, New Mexico, uncovered a disturbing case of prolonged child abuse inside a home near the Texas border. Jayme Kushman and her partner Jamie (also spelled Jaime) Sena kept multiple children confined in homemade cages and chained to beds for hours at a time, often without food, water, or bathroom access.

Discovery of the Abuse

New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department workers received a tip about children locked in cages. On July 22, 2022, a supervisor and New Mexico State Police officers visited Kushman’s home on Curry County Road. They found six children between the ages of 5 and 16 living in filthy, unsanitary conditions. The house lacked running water, had a backed-up toilet filled with waste, and reeked of urine. Chains were attached to walls and beds, and at least one bed had a padlock. Officers also noted dog cages used for confinement.

Security camera footage recovered from the home showed children being starved, beaten with paddles, and restrained for long periods. One documented incident involved a child chained to a bed for 14 consecutive hours with no food, water, or toilet access. Other videos captured physical abuse, including an instance in which a child’s face was pushed into vomit. The children included Sena’s own kids, relatives of Kushman, a foster child, and others who had lived in the household.

Arrests and Charges

Police arrested Kushman and Sena in August 2022. Each initially faced more than 20 counts related to child abuse, along with conspiracy and obstruction charges. A third woman, Lora Melancon, a previous partner of Kushman’s, also faced charges for earlier involvement. Investigators said the abuse had gone on for years, with children sometimes locked in cages even in cold weather or forced to stand in corners for extended periods as punishment.

Sentencing

In July 2023, both women resolved their cases through pleas. Jayme Kushman, then 38, pleaded guilty to five counts of child abuse and received a 15-year prison sentence. The judge designated the offenses as serious violent crimes, requiring her to serve at least 85 percent of the term. Jamie Sena, then 30, pleaded no contest to four counts of child abuse and was sentenced to six years. The judge described the treatment of the children as among the most cruel and inhumane he had encountered in 16 years on the bench, comparing elements of it to the treatment of prisoners of war.

The case drew attention for the calculated use of homemade restraints and the length of time the children endured the conditions before authorities intervened. The children were removed from the home and placed in safer environments, with ongoing support for recovery.

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