New Mexico – In a disturbing case that has left New Mexico reeling, a 40-year-old mother, identified as V. Chavez has been charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death after police say she beat her 18-month-old daughter to death. Prosecutors have described the crime as one of the most violent acts a parent can commit against a child. The first-degree felony charge carries the potential penalty of life in prison. As per reports, Chavez, who remains in the county detention center without bond, attacked her daughter just weeks after regaining custody from the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department. The child had been removed from her care at birth after being born premature and with drugs in her system.
On August 2, Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to a home after a report of an unresponsive child. Paramedics arrived to find a man performing CPR on the toddler. Despite taking over resuscitation efforts for 20 minutes, they were unable to revive her. The criminal complaint outlines that Chavez’s 7-year-old son witnessed the attack. Initially hesitant to speak, the boy repeated what Chavez had told him—that he should not say what happened to his sister and keep his mouth shut because he won’t help get her back by telling the truth. At first, he claimed his sister had simply fainted. But as the interview continued, the 7-year-old boy admitted that his mother had been “bad” to his sister and had been “beating her up.” He eventually revealed the most damning detail: he saw Chavez slam the toddler’s head into a wall, after which she died.
The autopsy confirmed the young girl suffered a large subdural hemorrhage caused by trauma. Investigators also documented marks across her head, cheek, arm, ankle, and foot. Chavez attempted to explain the injuries as the result of her daughter falling while learning to walk or tripping during a recent camping trip. She also suggested the toddler might have choked on food in her sleep. Children, Youth and Families Department officials confirmed that the victim had been removed from her parents’ care shortly after birth and placed with another family member because the girl was born with drugs in her system and the couple failed to attend crucial medical follow-ups. Two of the household’s three children had been in state custody for about a year…