Stepmom convicted of torturing child; 'worst case of trauma' that brought Anaheim officials 'to tears'
SANTA ANA, Calif. - An Anaheim woman was convicted in a Santa Ana courthouse Wednesday of torturing her 10-year-old stepdaughter and abusing three other children in the home according to officials. The stepmother allegedly engaged in humiliating, painful torture of the young girl, so much so that an emergency room nurse allegedly told police that it was the worst case of trauma and suspected child abuse that she'd ever seen.
Maya Chavez was also convicted of abusing three other children in the home, which included another stepdaughter and two children of her own.
The 34-year-old received a maximum sentence of seven years to life, plus 10 years in state prison.
"The details of unimaginable pain and suffering this little girl endured at the hands of her stepmother has brought the most experienced prosecutors, police officers and hospital staff to tears," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "But this systematic and diabolical torture of child was normalized in her household."
Some of the alleged torturous acts included forcing the child to kneel on soup cans while hogtied for hours, officials said. The abuse allegedly left the young girl with a broken neck, sores that exposed bones and the inability to walk for nine months while enduring weekly surgeries to repair the damage, according to officials.
SUGGESTED:
- Ruby Franke, parenting advice YouTuber, arrested on suspicion of child abuse
- 911 call reveals shock of Utah mommy bloggers' alleged child abuse: 'She's a bad lady'
The young girl weighed only 50 pounds and unresponsive when her father, Domingo Junior Flores, brought her to Children's Hospital of Orange County in August 2022. He allegedly told police and medical professionals that the girl and harmed herself before falling down the stairs.
Flores and Chavez were arrested by Anaheim police as emergency room staff worked to revive the girl.
During Chavez's trial, witnesses shared graphic details of Chavez's abuse, which allegedly included plunging the girl face-first into a bathtub full of ice water while zip-tied and rubbing habanero pepper in her eyes and genitals.
Jurors heard from three of the other children in the home, who allegedly sobbed while describing being forced to zip-tie their sister and witness Chavez's abuse.
The 10-year-old's father, Domingo Junior Flores, is currently awaiting trial on charges of torture, child abuse and child endangerment.
"Child abuse cannot and will not be normalized," said Spitzer. "Horrific things happen behind closed doors and we remain more committed than ever as prosecutors and law enforcement officials to throw open those doors and shed light on the most vulnerable of victims who are suffering in silence."