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The Department of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) was contacted by a youth partial care program with concerns about two children living with Irene Becica, 71, Thomas Becica, 57, and Christina VonColln, 45, on Oct. 24, 2023, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Daily Voice.
The two children were later identified as girls, and only referred to by their initials NV and MV, in the court documents.
On Oct. 27, a burn on NV's right wrist was found. The child said that VonColln and Irene Becica had burned her with a lighter, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Both girls were removed from the home on Goshen Road in Middle Township, police explained in the affidavit. Three other girls had previously been removed from the home and were being held in the Cape May County Correctional Center, as noted in the affidavit.
The five girls approximate ages are 16, 12, 11, 10, and 9, according to court documents. Their relationship with the adults was not immediately clear.
All of the girls told investigators that all three adults beat them with backscratchers, belts, flyswatters, and paddles. They all were left with bruises and cuts covering their bodies, as detailed in the court documents.
The abuse happened over the last five but it may have started earlier, authorities explained.
MV told investigators she ran away due to the abuse she suffered at home. A search warrant executed at the VonColln-Becica house on Dec. 8 turned up backscratchers, belts flyswatters, and a paddle, police wrote in the affidavit.
The adults also apparently gave the youngsters increased doses of medication resulting in a "zombie and ghost-like affect," as stated in the affidavit.
Irene Becica, Thomas Becica, and Christina VonColln have all been charged with child endangerment concerning the abuse in Middle Township, according to the police.
They also were charged with conspiracy, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Chief Jennifer Pooler of the Middle Township Police Department.
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