One of the two suspects in an Oct. 22 arrest of a Silt couple for child abuse was in Garfield County District Court on Thursday.

While the case against Kurtis Kumar, 31, was continued until Jan. 5, a defense motion to allow him to have written and phone communication from jail with his two children from a previous marriage was granted. The two are not victims in the case.

Kumar, along with his girlfriend, Desirae Jones, 29, are both in the Garfield County Jail on $1 million bond. Each faces felony charges of first-degree assault, child abuse and knowingly causing serious bodily injury.

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Multiple agencies, including the Silt Police Department and Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, worked together to locate the couple following reports that they severely injured a 2-year-old child in their care.

Kumar and Jones, along with the child, were found inside a car in the Silt area. Deputies arrested Kumar and Jones, and the child and a sibling were taken into emergency custody.

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“The child was found to have multiple injuries including burns to her body and other injuries consistent with a violent physical assault,” a Sheriff’s Office press release issued after the arrest stated.

Jones is due back in court on Dec. 29.

Appearing before Judge Terry Ruckriegle, filling in for Garfield District Judge Denise Lynch on Thursday, Kumar was granted supervised phone communication with two children from a prior relationship, including a biological child. The mother spoke via video conference with the court, saying she was fine with the arrangement. Deputy District Attorney Don Nottingham did not object, but said it should not extend to in-person contact if Kumar is released from jail.

“The prospects of him getting out of jail are quite low right now,” Public Defender Elise Myer said, referring to the high bond in the case.

In other matters before the court Thursday, the Silt home invasion, menacing and kidnapping case against Janvier Pinkard, 37, was continued until Jan. 5, as well. Pinkard is currently in the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo and remains in custody on a no-bond hold.

Also originally scheduled to be in court Thursday was Claudia Camacho-Duenes, 38, accused of murder in the stabbing deaths of her two children, ages 11 and 18, at their West Glenwood Springs home in late 2021. Camacho-Duenes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The case is now scheduled for a review hearing before Judge Lynch on Dec. 29, a day before the one-year anniversary of the incident.

Post Independent interim Managing Editor and senior reporter John Stroud can be reached at jstroud@postindependent.com or at 970-384-9160.