SURPRISE, Ariz. – A west Valley man convicted of killing his young daughter over a decade ago has been sentenced to prison.

Carlos Cruz, 38, received a sentence of natural life plus 57 years in prison, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on July 28.

The backstory:

On May 23, 2015, firefighters found a nonresponsive 3-year-old girl inside a Surprise home.

“When they arrived, the child was cold, pale, and not breathing,” the MCAO said.

The child was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

“Staff reported to police that the victim had the lowest blood sugar they could measure and weighed merely 16 pounds. Her body and head were covered in scars, open lesions, bruising, and swelling,” MCAO said. “According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner, the victim’s cause of death was a combination of blunt force injuries, starvation, dehydration, and meth toxicity. The child also had ligature marks on her ankles, and her bones were nearly translucent, a sign of prolonged malnutrition.”

Cruz, the girl’s father, was arrested. According to MCAO, he initially claimed his daughter’s injuries were from multiple falls but later admitted to hitting her with a belt.

“Police also discovered a cell phone video where the defendant told the victim’s mother, co-defendant Rosemary Velazco, to deny the child food,” MCAO said.

Dig deeper:

MCAO says in 2018, Velazco was sentenced to natural life in prison plus a consecutive term of 59 years after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Last March, Cruz was convicted of first-degree murder, child abuse and kidnapping.

What they’re saying:

“The defendant stood by as his child starved, doing nothing to help and instead added to her suffering through beatings and abuse,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. “Thanks to the dedication of MCAO Prosecutors James Baumann and Richard Dusterhoft, this child is finally getting justice.”