‘I don’t believe that’: family friend reacting to Nathan Peru’s account of events leading up to his daughter’s death | News

PIMA COUNTY, Ariz. (KVOA) — We are getting a sense of what the family of the little girl whose father is now under arrest in connection to her death is feeling right now.

The girl’s father taken into custody Thursday after being on the run for months.

The search for Nathan Peru went on for nearly five months after his 4-year-old daughter died under suspicious circumstances on Tucson’s westside.

Peru is also accused of sexually assaulting her according to court documents.

“I’m shocked that’s awful,” said an anonymous man.

This man didn’t want to be identified but he claims to be the friend of Nathan Peru’s cousin. He says he is in disbelief when News 4 Tucson told him what Peru is accused of doing to his 4-year-old daughter back in March.

Peru was on the run for 5 months after deputies say his daughter died at a home near flowing wells and Wetmore roads.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos says he is glad Peru is now behind bars.

“I’m just glad the monster is off the street, you treat a 4-year-old much less your own daughter in that manner, he needs to be locked up,” Nanos said.

According to court records, Peru told sheriff’s deputies that he was outside his residence when he heard a thump. He says he thought it was his dog.

Documents show he told investigators he waited five minutes before he went to check things out. He says that’s when he found his daughter face down in the bathtub.

“I don’t believe that that sounds like something easily made up,” said the Peru family friend.

Peru claims he tried to give his daughter CPR and also called 9-1-1.

The documents state the 4-year-old was declared dead after first responders arrived and tried to revive her.

The autopsy would reveal the little girl had been sexually assaulted.

“The sexual abuse part i wonder how long that went for,” said the Peru family friend.

This man says the Peru family has been completely devastated since the loss of the little girl who still had her whole life ahead of her.

“They are all destroyed I mean she was a big part of their lives but now she’s gone in a horrible way,” said the family friend.

The little girl’s death has now been ruled a homicide. The documents listing drowning as a possible cause.

No word yet on when Peru will be back in court, so far no information regarding the child’s mother.