Topline: The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter
Published: March 28, 2025 7:30 am ET
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Esmeralda Lugo (via CrimeWatch)
LANCASTER, PA — A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to four to eight years in state prison after she pleaded guilty earlier this month to beating a 9-year-old girl and telling her to “die,” then trying to conceal her injuries.
Esmeralda Lugo, 36, was sentenced after she pleaded guilty on March 13 to charges of aggravated assault and strangulation, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Lugo hit the child victim multiple times in the face using the back of a brush in her residence in the 100 block of Kloss Drive, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the evening of January 24, 2024.
The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter.
In an interview with police, the victim said her injuries were so painful that she was unable to sleep on the bruised side of her face.
Lugo also punched the victim in the back and placed her hands around the victim’s neck as if choking her while repeating the word “die,” the victim told police.
The victim told investigators she was unable to breathe for about 10 seconds while Lugo choked her.
A school counselor reported the assault to police after the victim reported it to a staff member two days later.
Manor Township Police and Lancaster County Children & Youth removed the victim and an infant sibling from Lugo’s home later the same day.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 28, 2025 7:30 am ET
Esmeralda Lugo (via CrimeWatch)
LANCASTER, PA — A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to four to eight years in state prison after she pleaded guilty earlier this month to beating a 9-year-old girl and telling her to “die,” then trying to conceal her injuries.
Esmeralda Lugo, 36, was sentenced after she pleaded guilty on March 13 to charges of aggravated assault and strangulation, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Lugo hit the child victim multiple times in the face using the back of a brush in her residence in the 100 block of Kloss Drive, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the evening of January 24, 2024.
The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter.
In an interview with police, the victim said her injuries were so painful that she was unable to sleep on the bruised side of her face.
Lugo also punched the victim in the back and placed her hands around the victim’s neck as if choking her while repeating the word “die,” the victim told police.
The victim told investigators she was unable to breathe for about 10 seconds while Lugo choked her.
A school counselor reported the assault to police after the victim reported it to a staff member two days later.
Manor Township Police and Lancaster County Children & Youth removed the victim and an infant sibling from Lugo’s home later the same day.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
PA Woman Sentenced for Beating Child, Bizarrely Covering Bruises with Butter
The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 28, 2025 7:30 am ET
Esmeralda Lugo (via CrimeWatch)
LANCASTER, PA — A Pennsylvania woman was sentenced to four to eight years in state prison after she pleaded guilty earlier this month to beating a 9-year-old girl and telling her to “die,” then trying to conceal her injuries.
Esmeralda Lugo, 36, was sentenced after she pleaded guilty on March 13 to charges of aggravated assault and strangulation, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Lugo hit the child victim multiple times in the face using the back of a brush in her residence in the 100 block of Kloss Drive, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the evening of January 24, 2024.
The assault caused a noticeable injury to the victim’s eye, which Lugo attempted to conceal using multiple techniques including ice, makeup, and—oddly enough—salt and butter.
In an interview with police, the victim said her injuries were so painful that she was unable to sleep on the bruised side of her face.
Lugo also punched the victim in the back and placed her hands around the victim’s neck as if choking her while repeating the word “die,” the victim told police.
The victim told investigators she was unable to breathe for about 10 seconds while Lugo choked her.
A school counselor reported the assault to police after the victim reported it to a staff member two days later.
Manor Township Police and Lancaster County Children & Youth removed the victim and an infant sibling from Lugo’s home later the same day.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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