Man sentenced for killing 3-year-old daughter who weighed 'merely 16 pounds' when she died

SURPRISE, Ariz. (TCN) -- A 38-year-old man was recently sentenced to life behind bars in connection with the death of his 3-year-old daughter nearly a decade ago.

In a news release, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said Carlos Cruz received a sentence of life in prison plus 57 years. A jury previously convicted him of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and three counts of child abuse.

According to prosecutors, in May 2015, the El Mirage Fire Department responded to a report of a nonresponsive 3-year-old at a residence, where they discovered the victim "cold, pale, and not breathing."

Hospital staff tried to revive the child, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Staff reportedly told police "that the victim had the lowest blood sugar they could measure and weighed merely 16 pounds." The attorney’s office said the child’s "body and head were covered in scars, open lesions, bruising, and swelling."

The medical examiner determined the victim died from blunt force injuries, starvation, dehydration, and meth toxicity. The 3-year-old also reportedly had ligature marks on her ankles, as well as translucent bones, a sign of prolonged malnutrition.

According to the attorney’s office, Cruz told police the injuries were caused by falls, but he later confessed to striking his daughter with a belt. Investigators also reportedly uncovered a cellphone video revealing Cruz telling the victim’s mother, co-defendant Rosemary Velazco, "to deny the child food."

Velazco was sentenced in 2018 to life in prison plus 59 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, among other related charges.

In a statement, County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said, "The defendant stood by as his child starved, doing nothing to help, and instead, added to her suffering through beatings and abuse."

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