On Monday, October 17th, 2022, at 10:24 am, the Turlock Police Department was dispatched to a reported juvenile abuse that had just occurred in the parking lot of Walmart, 2111 Fulkerth Rd, Turlock, after a naked toddler playing around a vehicle had been seen getting pushed into the vehicle by an adult.

Officers arrived on scene and found that there were actually two children inside of the vehicle, later determined to be a three-year old and a five-year old. A woman later identified as Amy Soto, 34, of Oregon, and a man later identified as Jimmy Boyd, 34, of Susanville, were also in the vehicle. They were later determined to be the children’s parents.

Officers observed Soto preparing to light a pipe filled with narcotics as she sat inside the vehicle, so they began approaching. As officers approached, they noticed several dangerous and sharp objects in the back seat accessible to the children.

Everyone was removed from the vehicle and a more in-depth search was conducted which led to the discovery of additional narcotics.

Soto and Boyd were both arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of child abuse or endangerment under circumstances other than those likely to produce great bodily harm or death and possession of methamphetamines.

The Stanislaus County Community Services Agency’s Child & Family Services Division was contacted and they responded to take custody of the children.