New Mexico man charged with child abuse after fireworks incident

A father is facing charges after police were called to his Farmington apartment. It happened early Thursday morning, July 4. Farmington police responded to an apartment on North Dustin Avenue at around 1:42 a.m. Officers were there to check on the welfare of two children, an 8-year-old and a 13-year-old. Your Neighborhood: Local News from KOAT Action 7 News Police later found the two children. According to court documents, one child told police that his father, 40-year-old Billy Yabeny, had thrown both a smoke bomb and a firecracker at one of the children. The three later went back inside, where one of the children confronted Yabeny about the incident, according to court documents. He responded by shoving the child in the back, causing him to fall onto the couch. One of the children then told police that the two had left the apartment due to safety concerns. Farmington police officers actually entered the apartment using one of the children’s keys. Follow us on social media: Facebook | X/Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeYabeny was found in one of the bedrooms and spoke briefly with police. He was asked where his children were but was initially unable to answer. According to court documents, Yabeny was found to have a strong odor of alcohol and had bloodshot, watery eyes. Yabeny was eventually arrested after allegedly unsuccessfully attempting to answer police questions. He was booked into the San Juan County Adult Detention Center. Yabeny is charged with child abuse and child neglect.Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free