11-year-old girl found dead was tortured, disfigured by parents, California cops say
After an 11-year-old girl was found dead by California police last month, authorities are now accusing her father and stepmother of torture and child abuse.
The girl’s father, Rene Diaz, 30, and stepmother, Crystal Diaz, 29, have been charged with torture, mayhem and four counts of child abuse dating back to November 2020, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office.
The girl, whose name hasn’t been released and is referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, was found dead on March 23 after paramedics were called to a home in Rodeo , located in the San Francisco Bay area, The Mercury News reported.
The Contra Costa Sheriff’s office has conducted an autopsy and is still determining how she died, prosecutors said, according to the publication.
The couple is accused of causing “permanent disability and disfigurement and deprivation of a limb, organ and body member” to the girl. Authorities said the girl was subjected to torture with the “intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering.”
Both Rene and Crystal Diaz are being held on $1.4 million bail, district attorney spokesperson Scott Alonso told McClatchy News. They’re scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
