(Phoenix) – Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has announced that two defendants have been sentenced to prison for the abuse and neglect of a 10-year-old child. The abuse was significant and included physical attacks, withholding of food, failure to seek medical care for injuries, and evidence that one of the defendants lit the young victim on fire.

Chloe Rae Sergent (DOB 11/95), the biological mother of the child, was sentenced to 20 years in the custody of the Arizona Department of Corrections (AZDOC) to be followed by 10 years of supervised probation upon her release from AZDOC. She had pled guilty to one count of Child Abuse and one count of Attempt to Commit Child Abuse. The second defendant, Keola Cachero Wimbish, also pled guilty and was sentenced to AZDOC for 20-years to be followed by 10 years of supervised probation on one count of Child Abuse and two counts of Attempt to Commit Child Abuse.

At the time of the abuse, Keola Wimbish and Chloe Sergent were in a romantic relationship and Wimbish resided with Sergent, the victim, and two other children. Both defendants were arrested on April 5, 2022, after a family member of the children reported abuse to authorities.

“The abuse this child suffered at the hands of the people who were supposed to love and care for her is horrific,” stated County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. “I’m particularly grateful to this young victim who was willing to bravely tell her story. Thanks to the intervention of a caring relative, thorough investigation by police, and hard work by MCAO prosecutors, justice was done.”

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