Doctor testifies about Raffy's abuse

EPHRATA — A pregnant Maribel Gomez reportedly showed up to a doctor's appointment "very high on drugs and bouncing off the walls," about a month before the birth of her son, Rafael "Raffy" Gomez.

Dr. Daniel Sloane, currently in family practice at Mattawa Community Medical Clinic, warned Gomez at the time she was running the risk of having her baby taken away at birth.

Sloane, formerly a physician in Moses Lake for both Gomez and Raffy, testified Wednesday before Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz during Gomez's non-jury trial. The 32-year-old mother is charged with homicide by abuse and first-degree manslaughter in the death of Raffy in September 2003.

Gomez faces a sentence of up to 26 years in prison if found guilty of homicide by abuse. The manslaughter charge carries an 8-year sentence.

Sloane's testimony proved to be some of most damning yet in the trial, which started Feb. 12.

"Maribel tried to have the baby outside the hospital so it wouldn't be taken away," said Sloane, referring to Raffy's birth in the back seat of a car.

There was a "lag time," he described, between the birth and Raffy's arrival at the hospital.

Sloane, who was Raffy's doctor for 18 months of his short life, tested both mother and son for drugs after the boy was born. Each one tested positive for cocaine and amphetamines, according to Sloane's testimony. The doctor also treated Gomez, off and on, for several years before Raffy's birth.

The doctor estimated he was at least 80 to 90 percent sure Gomez was abusing Raffy, who suffered four skull fractures, two broken legs, multiple bruises, abrasions and burns. Raffy's shoulders were also severely wounded, all sustained while in Gomez's care.

"I did settle in my mind that Maribel was the perpetrator," Sloane told the court. "I didn't have concrete evidence … but Maribel had lied a lot and I caught her in that. I thought she was covering up for someone else, or herself."

Gomez's defense lawyer, Bobby Moser of Moses Lake, argued in opening statements Raffy behaved abnormally, was self-destructive and accident prone.

Sloane said he never observed unusual behaviors in Raffy and there was no indication the boy was hurting himself.

Raffy's life with his foster parents, Bruce and Denise Griffith of Royal City, gave him an opportunity to overcome the negative impacts of being born with drugs in his system, Sloane said.

The Griffith home was a very loving and caring environment for Raffy to spend the first 10 and a half months of his life, he said.

"(Denise Griffith) basically loved and cared that baby back to health," Sloane said. "Raffy responded very well to that."

Near Raffy's first birthday, Sloane said the boy progressed to the point when it became difficult to detect any sign of the drugs.

The trial resumes today. Denise Griffith is expected to testify either today or Monday.