Bay Area authorities charged the parents of an 11-year-old girl for alleged torture and child abuse after the death of the young victim.
Police charged the young girl’s father, 30-year-old Rene Diaz, and her stepmother, 29-year-old Crystal, with four counts of child abuse, torture, and aggravated mayhem. The couple resided in Rodeo in Contra Costa County.
Abuse and Torture
Authorities did not reveal the identity of the victim due to her age. They said she was subjected to brutal assaults, allegedly with the “intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering.” Court documents alleged the attacks occurred from November 27, 2020, up until March 23, 2021.
Officials accused the suspects of causing “permanent disability and disfigurement and deprivation of a limb, organ, and body member” of the victim. Authorities also accused the couple of abusing the child that is “likely to produce great bodily harm and death” two weeks before she lost her life.
However, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office investigators said the child’s death was not immediately connected to the two suspects, the San Francisco Gate reported.
Authorities set Diaz’s bail at $1.4 million and are keeping the two in jail until payment could be made. The suspects face potential life imprisonment if convicted of the crime. They are scheduled to be arraigned next week.
