BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017—A Revere Police officer was arraigned today on charges of physically abusing a young child, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

MARCOS R. GARCIA (DOB 12/4/84) of Saugus was arraigned in Chelsea District Court on charges of assault and battery on a child causing injury and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.  At the request of Assistant District Attorney Alissa Goldhaber, Judge Michael Patten set bail in the amount of $5,000 and ordered Garcia to stay away from and have no contact with the victims and witnesses in the case and have no contact with children under the age of 18, except his own child, without the knowledge of a parent or guardian. 

Goldhaber told the court that Garcia had been in a romantic relationship with the mother of the 5-year-old victim.  On the evening of Jan. 12, when the child did not eat dinner quickly enough, Garcia allegedly sent the child to a bedroom, placed him in handcuffs, and beat him with his hands and a belt, Goldhaber said.

Garcia allegedly instructed the child to shower and rubbed ointment on wounds sustained in the beating.  Prosecutors said Garcia told the victim and a second child who was present in the home at the time to tell anyone who asked that the injuries were the result of falling down a flight of stairs, prosecutors said.

The following day, the victim attended school and asked the nurse for a Band-Aid.  The nurse observed bruises on the front and back of the child’s torso, arms, and neck.  The victim was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital for treatment and documentation of the injuries. Clinicians also detected elevated liver enzymes, which are sometimes attributable to abdominal trauma, Goldhaber said.

After initially stating that the 5-year-old had fallen down the stairs, the victim and the second child later said they wanted to “tell the real truth” and participated in separate multidisciplinary interviews, Goldhaber said. State Police assigned to the Suffolk DA’s office arrested Garcia on Saturday after an interview, and their investigation is ongoing.

“Cases of child abuse are among the most disturbing we encounter,” Conley said. “They hurt the most innocent and vulnerable among us.  If you know or suspect that a child is being abused, don’t assume that someone else will notice and report it.  Call us.  Every boy and girl deserves a safe and healthy childhood.”

Nicole Crosta is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate.  Garcia was represented by Chris Coughlin.  He returns to court Feb. 23.

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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.