
MARTINEZ — An 11-year-old girl who died late last month of still-undetermined causes had suffered serious abuse at the hands of her parents for weeks on end, according to authorities who arrested and charged her parents with torturing and inflicting “aggravated mayhem” on the girl.
The girl’s father, 30-year-old Rene Diaz, and her stepmom, 29-year-old Crystal Diaz, have been charged with torture, mayhem, and four counts of child abuse dating back to last November. While they don’t currently face charges related to the girl’s death, the case remains under investigation, authorities said.
Both Rene and Crystal Diaz are in a Contra Costa County jail in lieu of $1.4 million bail, according to public records. They are due in court April 14 for an arraignment hearing.
Authorities have not released the girl’s name, and she is listed in court records only as “Jane Doe” due to her young age. The investigation into her death started in the early morning hours of March 23, when paramedics were called to a home on the 10 block of Railroad Avenue in Rodeo.
When authorities showed up to the home at around 3:30 a.m., the girl was dead. The Contra Costa Sheriff’s office conducted an extensive autopsy and is still looking into exactly how she died, according to county prosecutors.
But what was apparent, authorities alleged in court records, was that the girl had been extensively abused. The torture charge alleges that from March 9-23, both parents abused her with “intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering for the purpose of revenge, extortion, persuasion and for a sadistic purpose.” The mayhem charge alleges the girl suffered “permanent disability and disfigurement and deprivation of a limb, organ and body member” during the same time period.
The four child abuse charges are all alleged to have occurred on exact dates starting Nov. 27 of last year, an indication that investigators gathered evidence of specific acts of abuse. Thus far, authorities have kept specific details of the alleged abuse under wraps.
If convicted as charged, both defendants face a potential life sentence, according to the criminal complaint.
Source:: The Mercury News – Latest News
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