Doraelia Espinoza at her sentencing hearing after she pleaded no contest in the death of her 16-year-old special needs daughter (KRQE).
A mother from New Mexico has been sentenced to over ten years in prison following the tragic death of her 16-year-old daughter, who suffered from special needs. The teenager was found weighing a mere 40 pounds, with authorities reporting the presence of “maggots crawling out of her body.”
Doraelia Espinoza entered a plea of no contest to charges of reckless child abuse resulting in death and additional child abuse related to her daughter’s passing, as confirmed by the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.
The identity of the young girl has not been disclosed publicly. She was admitted to a hospital in Albuquerque in 2022, where the severity of her condition became apparent.
Prosecutors revealed that medical professionals found the teenager to be severely malnourished, lacking both fat tissue and muscle. Disturbingly, she also had scrapes and rashes in her genital area, and maggots were observed emerging from her body.
Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, the Deputy District Attorney for Bernalillo County, emphasized the severity of Espinoza’s actions, contrasting them with other instances of child abuse that may stem from a momentary loss of temper.
“This is not about a tragic accident or a simple lapse in judgment,” Brandenburg-Koch stated, as reported by local CBS affiliate KRQE. “This case involves prolonged abuse.”
Bernalillo County Det. Roger Garcia said the case was hard on his team of investigators.
“And not just because of the harm done but who inflicted it,” he reportedly said.
Espinoza’s attorney requested the judge sentence her to 12 years behind bars.
She begged the judge for mercy through a translator.
“I never wanted this,” she told the judge, per KRQE. “I want to say that I love my children with my whole heart from the oldest to the youngest. I’m not a bad person, I’m just a hard working mother who does everything for her children.”
The defendant has five living children.
While prosecutors requested 18 years behind bars, Judge Bruce Fox opted for 15 years.
“It was physical injury and suffering of this child that took place, it didn’t happen in a moment or a reckless quick decision. This happened at a minimum of five or six days,” the judge said.
