A newly released state child-welfare report lays out a bleak trail of missed warnings in the years leading up to the death of 4-year-old Tucson girl Tammy Hernandez. On March 16, 2024, Tammy was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her family home, and the internal review tracks a long history of concerns involving the child and her father, Nathan Peru.
According to Law&Crime, which reviewed court filings and local coverage, Peru told investigators he used a showerhead to fill the tub, left the front door open so he could hear Tammy, then stepped outside to grab nicotine pouches and clean for roughly five minutes. When he returned, he said, he found his daughter face down in the water.
State Report: Repeated Contacts Before Death
The fatality review from the Arizona Department of Child Safety documents multiple prior reports alleging neglect and abuse tied to Tammy and her father. Investigators note three separate reports involving Tammy and six additional reports tied to Peru and other children between 2012 and 2021. According to the report, Tammy was removed and placed in foster care, then returned to Peru’s custody in November 2023. The agency ultimately concluded that Tammy “died as result of physical abuse and neglect while in the care of her father.”
Charges, Manhunt And A Deadly Custody Ending
After the medical examiner cited possible drowning along with blunt-force injuries and a severe stomach ulcer that contributed to Tammy’s death, prosecutors indicted Peru on child-abuse and sexual-abuse counts. As outlined by KOLD News 13, Peru fled following the charges, allegedly stole a city vehicle during the search, and was arrested in August 2024. On Oct. 22, 2025, he was shot and killed after attacking a corrections officer at a hospital, ending the criminal case before it reached a jury.
Family Members Say They Raised Alarms
Tammy’s adoptive mother, Myriam Cisneros, has publicly questioned why the little girl was ever returned to Peru. She told reporters she repeatedly warned authorities about his custody and pushed back against the decision to reunify father and daughter. Those concerns were detailed in interviews reported by the Tampa Free Press.
Legal Implications…