Arizona man receives life sentence for 2015 murder of 3-year-old daughter

MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — A man has been sentenced to life in an Arizona prison after his 3-year-old daughter died of starvation, dehydration and blunt-force injuries in 2015. 

Carlos Tercero Cruz, 38, was issued an additional 57 years in prison after a Maricopa County jury convicted him of first-degree murder, child abuse and kidnapping.

The 3-year-old daughter was found unresponsive at a Surprise home when the fire department responded to a call in May 2015. She was taken to the hospital and died. Physical injuries were observed on the child. 

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said the girl weighed only 16 pounds at the time of her death. The girl’s cause of death was attributed to blunt force injuries, starvation, dehydration and meth toxicity. 

Cruz reportedly admitted to hitting his child with a belt and a cell phone video was uncovered that showed Cruz telling the child’s mother, Rosemary Velazco, to not feed the girl.

Velazco was previously sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder. 

“The defendant stood by as his child starved, doing nothing to help and instead added to her suffering through beatings and abuse,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell wrote in a statement.

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