A Surprise father, Carlos Tercero Cruz, has been sentenced to natural life plus 57 years in prison for the death of his three-year-old daughter.
On May 23, 2015, the El Mirage Fire Department responded to a call regarding a nonresponsive three-year-old at a home in Surprise. When they arrived, the child was cold, pale, and not breathing.
Hospital staff attempted to save the child but were not successful. Staff reported to police that the victim had the lowest blood sugar they could measure and weighed merely 16 pounds. Her body and head were covered in scars, open lesions, bruising, and swelling.
According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner, the victim’s cause of death was a combination of blunt force injuries, starvation, dehydration, and meth toxicity. The child also had ligature marks on her ankles, and her bones were nearly translucent, a sign of prolonged malnutrition.
Surprise Police officers arrested Cruz, who initially claimed the injuries were from multiple falls, but later admitted to hitting his daughter with a belt. Police also discovered a cell phone video where the defendant told the victim’s mother, co-defendant Rosemary Velazco, to deny the child food.
In 2018, Velazco was sentenced to natural life plus a consecutive term of 59 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder among other charges.
In March of this year, a jury convicted Tercero Cruz of the following:
- First-Degree Murder, a Class One Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children and Domestic Violence offense
- Child Abuse, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children and Domestic Violence offense
- Kidnapping, a Class Two Felony and Dangerous Crime Against Children and Domestic Violence offense
- Three counts of Child Abuse, a Class Four Felony and Domestic Violence offense.
“The defendant stood by as his child starved, doing nothing to help and instead added to her suffering through beatings and abuse,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
The death penalty has fallen into disrepute and our society has paid dearly for it. We need to use it and implement it in a timely manner, making sure that the perp doesn’t die of old age before his execution.
Another imported heathen.
There are zero reasons I can think of why that monster shouldn’t stretch rope.
Agree! Why is it that aggravated murder of a child is relatively less egregious than the killing of an adult? This poor child was tortured to death. I would personally put this guy’s life to a quick but painful end.
Although Death is too good for him, we cannot take a chance of his getting out. Additionally why should he enjoy breathing while the innocent child is not.? Death is the best answer to this creature.
He’s never getting out of prison, why keep him around?