- An 8-year-old girl was allegedly found tortured and killed in a hotel bathtub on Saturday, Aug. 2, in Bakersfield, Calif., according to police
- Ray Mata Jr. and Graciela Bustamonte have been charged with child cruelty, torture and first-degree murder
- The girl’s family members have alleged that California Child Protective Services failed to protect her
A California couple has been accused of torturing the man’s 8-year-old daughter in a hotel bathroom before killing her this past weekend, according to startling new reports.
Ray Mata Jr. and Graciela Bustamonte have been charged with first-degree murder, willful cruelty to a child, and torture after authorities discovered Genesis Ariah Mata dead in a hotel bathtub on Saturday, Aug. 2, in Bakersfield, Calif., according to Fox 10, KBTX, and KBAK.
The girl was allegedly burned with hot water, beaten and whipped, according to the outlets, citing probable cause documents from local police. According to the outlets, police alleged in the documents that the couple repeatedly slammed the girl’s fingers in a door frame, crushing her hand and causing her fingernails to separate from her hand. Genesis was found with massive blisters and burns across her body, as well as her face, police allege, according to Fox 10.
Mata, the girl’s father, and Bustamonte, her stepmother, pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to the outlets.
According to reports, Mata and Bustamonte both blamed each other for Genesis’ death. But both allegedly admitted to police that they participated in the abuse, according to the outlets.
Bustamonte allegedly told police Genesis died on Friday night, a full day before 911 was called. The stepmother allegedly told police that she witnessed Mata punching and suffocating the 8-year-old and that he had beaten his children for years, according to the documents. Bustamonte allegedly admitted to police it was her idea to pour scalding hot water on Genesis in order to make her “listen” better, according to the documents.
Mata had an active case with the state’s Child Protective Services, an agency that Genesis’ other family members have criticized since her death on Saturday, according to Fox 10.
Speaking outside the courthouse where Mata and Bustamonte made their first appearance this week, the victim’s cousin Sabrina Guerrero told KBAK that CPS had been contacted “at least 20” times about Mata’s alleged abuse.
“It’s a sad situation, and CPS needs to be held accountable for everything,” Guerrero told the outlet. A spokesperson for the California CPS did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Meanwhile, Genesis’ family is remembering a girl with a “beautiful spirit” who was “tragically taken from us.”
“She was full of life, had a beautiful spirit, and loved anything that sparkled,” Genesis’ cousin Sophia Hernandez wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to cover the child’s funeral expenses. “Her life was stolen far too soon.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
