Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Enslaving Daughter

A 41-year-old Colton woman was arraigned in Pomona Superior Court on Tuesday on charges that she tortured her slightly mentally retarded daughter for years and kept her out of school--alleged crimes that could bring a life sentence.

As her family and friends watched, Maria Carmen Salcedo of Colton entered a not-guilty plea and was ordered held in lieu of $1-million bail.

Two weeks ago, an El Monte municipal judge ruled there was sufficient evidence for the mother of 13 to stand trial on charges of torture, felony child endangerment, witness intimidation and conspiring with ex-boyfriend Tito Dominguez to commit child endangerment.

Dominguez, 56, remains a fugitive and is charged with five counts of rape, two counts of oral copulation, child abuse and conspiracy.

Salcedo’s 19-year-old daughter, Melissa, at the preliminary hearing last month testified that she was a virtual family slave and never went to school. She said her mother regularly beat, burned and choked her, and hid her in the closet when visitors came.