A couple in New Mexico learned their fate after they locked a 6-year-old girl in an outdoor metal shed and left her there for more than 24 hours without access to water or electricity.
The Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that Judge Jennifer DeLaney sentenced Bruce Anglin on Monday, September 21, to 7 and a half years in a state correctional facility, which will be followed by 4 and a half years of supervised probation. His wife, Samantha Anglin, received a suspended three-year sentence and has been placed on supervised probation.
The couple was sentenced after Bruce pleaded guilty to six charges, including two counts of third-degree child abuse, conspiracy to commit child abuse and false-imprisonment offenses. Meanwhile, Samantha previously pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree child abuse.
In its press release, the Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office said that the case began June 20, 2025, when Luna County Sheriff’s deputies received a report that a child was locked in “an outside metal shed” on a rural property.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found that the property’s entrance gate was locked. A deputy announced his presence and activated his emergency lights before he gained access into the shed through a barbed-wire fence.
“While walking around the property, [the deputy] heard a child’s voice calling out from an outside shed,” the release stated. “He located a 6-year-old girl locked inside of the shed, with no electricity or running water but had a water bottle. She was able to communicate with the officer through a broken window.”
The district attorney’s office added that “the officer was able to discern that the child had been locked inside the shed for more than 24 hours and that her parents and younger sister were currently in town.”
The deputy then forced his way into the shed, where the victim was in “deplorable, filthy conditions.”
“She had visible bruises, a swollen eye, and told the medics that she had eaten very little the previous day,” the release stated.
The victim was immediately transported to Mimbres Memorial Hospital for treatment, and her current condition has not been revealed.
Bruce spoke to authorities after the girl was found, and he admitted he locked her in the shed as punishment, according to KRQE. The couple was then arrested, and they were held without bond as they awaited their trials.
Prosecutors said that Samantha spoke during her husband’s sentencing hearing, and she claimed that she and her two kids suffered his abuse for years.
Prior to his sentencing, the state argued that Bruce should be sentenced to the maximum 12-year prison sentence. However, his defense attorney requested a suspended sentence and credit for the 454 days he had served following his arrest. As part of his probation, Bruce will be prohibited from having any contact with children.
Samantha received credit for the 454 days she had already served, while she also had to formally relinquish her parental rights to both of her children.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
