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11-year-old girl found dead was tortured, disfigured by parents, California cops say

Rene Diaz and Crystal Diaz are charged with torture, mayhem and child abuse after their 11-year-old daughter was found dead at home, Contra Costa County DA said.
Rene Diaz and Crystal Diaz are charged with torture, mayhem and child abuse after their 11-year-old daughter was found dead at home, Contra Costa County DA said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

After an 11-year-old girl was found dead by California police last month, authorities are now accusing her father and stepmother of torture and child abuse.

The girl’s father, Rene Diaz, 30, and stepmother, Crystal Diaz, 29, have been charged with torture, mayhem and four counts of child abuse dating back to November 2020, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office.

The girl, whose name hasn’t been released and is referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents, was found dead on March 23 after paramedics were called to a home in Rodeo , located in the San Francisco Bay area, The Mercury News reported.

The Contra Costa Sheriff’s office has conducted an autopsy and is still determining how she died, prosecutors said, according to the publication.

The couple is accused of causing “permanent disability and disfigurement and deprivation of a limb, organ and body member” to the girl. Authorities said the girl was subjected to torture with the “intent to cause cruel and extreme pain and suffering.”

Both Rene and Crystal Diaz are being held on $1.4 million bail, district attorney spokesperson Scott Alonso told McClatchy News. They’re scheduled to appear in court on April 14.

This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 11:03 AM with the headline "11-year-old girl found dead was tortured, disfigured by parents, California cops say."

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Summer Lin
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Summer Lin was a reporter for McClatchy.
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