Roommate accuses Gomez of abusing Raffy

by David Cole<br>Herald Staff Writer
| February 23, 2007 8:00 PM

EPHRATA — A former roommate of Maribel Gomez clutched an infant-sized doll and showed the Grant County courtroom exactly how she claimed the Ephrata mother would swing and spin little Rafael "Raffy" Gomez around by his arms and legs.

Alicia Estrada, who met the 32-year-old Gomez in an alcohol-rehab program and moved into her Ephrata apartment in May 2002, testified during Gomez's trial in Grant County Superior Court Thursday. Gomez is charged with homicide by abuse and first-degree manslaughter in the death of 2-year-old Raffy.

Gomez, a mother of five other children currently in foster care, could receive a sentence of up to 26 years in prison if found guilty of homicide during the non-jury trial by Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz.

Estrada, 59, currently of Moses Lake, wiped away tears and fought them back at times as she recalled the abuse she reportedly saw Gomez inflict on Raffy, who died of blunt-force trauma to the head in September 2003. He suffered four skull fractures, two broken legs, severe and repeated injury to both shoulders and numerous deep bruises and abrasions during his short life, all while in Gomez's care.

Estrada recalled how she and Gomez quickly became friends during rehab and how she moved in three weeks later, saying she took care of all the daily chores around the apartment. She lived in the apartment until August 2002, leaving in disgust because of what she said was repeated abuse of Raffy.

Grant County Deputy Prosecutor Carolyn Fair questioned Estrada about the friendship with Gomez, what action she took when she allegedly witnessed the abuse and why she moved out abruptly after a few months.

"We almost ate off the same plate," Estrada said of her initial friendship with Gomez.

Estrada said she got along, "like brother and sister," with Jose Arechiga, Raffy's father. She said Raffy would cry when Arechiga would leave almost daily for work at a dairy.

Raffy did not inflict injuries to himself Estrada testified, as Gomez's defense lawyer, Bobby Moser of Moses Lake, argued in his opening statements.

She never saw Raffy pull his own hair, bite or pinch himself, or throw himself backward and hit his head.

Arechiga never hurt Raffy, Estrada said, was always holding the boy and playing with him when he wasn't working.

"He was a peaceful man," Estrada said. "He was a good worker."

Neither Gomez nor Estrada worked at the time.

Gomez did not abuse Raffy, Estrada said, when Arechiga was in the home, where four children, including Raffy, lived with the three adults.

"Were you ever afraid Maribel might kill Raffy?" Fair asked.

"Many times," Estrada answered through Spanish interpreter Steve Muzik, of Othello.

Raffy, who was about 11 months old at the time and in Gomez's care for the first time after being with a Royal City foster family since birth, was allegedly kicked, frequently, by his mother with the point of her shoe, Estrada testified. He was picked up by the ear or hair, at times, put in the kitchen sink and repeatedly drenched with cold water, grabbed under the arms occasionally and spun around until dizzy and left to stumble helplessly around the living room, bumping into whatever was in his path.

In one particular incident Estrada recalled, Raffy was booted and sent flying off the family's porch by his mother for crying when Arechiga left for the dairy. On a separate occasion, Raffy was hurled 15 feet across the room by his ankles by Maribel after his mother just changed his diaper.

Gomez, according to Estrada, said she "hated" Raffy. Gomez called Raffy "fat" and "spoiled" by foster parents, Bruce and Denise Griffith. Gomez, Estrada testified, said Raffy was worth a lot of money to her in welfare benefits. If Raffy died, Gomez said she'd just make another baby, Estrada told the court.

Estrada insisted she frequently called Child Protective Services, social workers with the state Department of Social and Health Services and the police.

"I couldn't stand to see how she was treating him, hitting him," Estrada said, demonstrating with her hands how Raffy flinched, defensively, when his mother approached.

She said she would eventually tell the neighbors about the abuse.

"Since the law wasn't paying any attention to me, I wanted someone to," she said.

The neighbors were no help, she said, because they were illegal immigrants and didn't want to get tangled up with the courts and authorities.

Estrada moved out after Gomez allegedly choked Raffy one time. She couldn't take it anymore.

Moser, during cross examination, tried to debunk Estrada by asking if she'd ever stayed at Eastern State Hospital, used prescription drugs, brought alcohol into Gomez's apartment and secretly requested sex from Arechiga.

"Excuse me, no, I'm not that kind of woman, that's offensive," Estrada responded to Moser's questioning. "I have no interest in him as a man."

"Did you tell Jose he'd regret turning you down?" Moser asked. No, she replied.

Estrada admitted to purchasing beer, with Gomez's money, but only once. She claimed she didn't actually drink the alcohol, as she was still in rehab, taking "fake" sips from Gomez's empties.

Fair objected to questions about any stays at the psychiatric hospital in Medical Lake. Antosz disallowed the line of questioning.

Moser questioned Estrada about the other three children living in the home at the time, asking if she witnessed them being abused.

Estrada reportedly saw Gomez strike a daughter, "from time to time," with a brush. She did not see other abuse.

Moser asked whether the neighbors ever witnessed the abuse she was describing.

"The didn't want to get involved," Estrada said. "They were all illegals (immigrants) and would have to get involved with the court."

Moser, in an interview following Thursday's proceedings, said he anticipated, "probably," calling his client to testify, possibly rebutting some of Estrada's accusations.

The trial continues Monday, with testimony from several prosecution witnesses, including a number of Raffy's medical providers and former Ephrata Police Department Detective John Phillips.

The trial started Feb. 12 and is expected to last through next week.