LONG BEACH, Calif. (TCN) —Â A couple has been charged with torturing and killing a 14-month-old baby in November, authorities say.
On Nov. 24, the child’s father, Alfredo Munoz Jr., 40, and stepmother, Kelly Anelalani Munoz, 34, were arrested. Each was charged Dec. 1 with one count of murder, torture, and assault on a child causing death, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release.
The child, referred to in the felony complaint as Tilly S., was admitted to a children’s hospital in Long Beach on Nov. 7. KTTV reports that authorities were called by staff for a possible child abuse incident; the child was unresponsive and showed signs of trauma. NBC Los Angeles reports the exact nature of the abuse has not been released.
The outlet notes Tilly S. was placed on life support but ultimately died of her injuries Nov. 10. Authorities investigated and determined the child had been abused by her father and stepmother and that her death was the result of that alleged abuse.
According to court records obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Munoz was previously sentenced to four years in state prison in December 2021 after pleading no contest to a count of willful cruelty to a child causing injury or death.
If convicted, both could face a maximum sentence of up to 32 years in state prison, the DA said. Bail is set at $3,030,000 each.
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