Sentenced: Illegal & Husband “Previously & Recently” Physically Abused Her Deceased 2YO Daughter (2024)

A Sanpete County couple has been charged with child homicide after they allegedly abused their two-year-old daughter, resulting in the girl’s death.

Juan Castillo, 51, and Anyi Cruz, 22, were both charged with child abuse homicide and aggravated child abuse on Thursday, Dec. 29.

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An x-ray reportedly showed that the girl previously had broken ribs that were “healed or healing,” the affidavit states, and that there was “a large amount of bruising” over her body that had occurred recently. The deputy was told there were other injuries involved as well, the affidavit states.

The extent of the abuse led authorities to believe that those injuries contributed to the girl’s death.

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In an interview with Cruz, the mother of the child, she reportedly stated that she and her husband had “previously and recently” physically abused her daughter.

In an interview with Castillo, the step-father and acting father of the child, he reportedly stated that he had previously and recently struck the girl, but “not to the extent he would have caused injuries.” He allegedly also stated that “she is a clumsy girl” and “would regularly hit her head on her bedframe,” the affidavit states.

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A large amount of both children’s and adults’ medication was reportedly found around the body of the girl at their home — on the table, and in the kitchen area.
The couple told police that they regularly gave medication to the girl, and that Cruz gave enough medication to the girl “that she quickly fell asleep.”

Authorities believe that “large amounts of medication” may have contributed to the death of the girl.

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The arrest report further states that Cruz, who has ties to Honduras, “had an incident in 2016 where the offense is described as alien removal.” Cruz would have been 16 at the time.

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A Utah mother will spend at least three years and up to life in prison after pleading guilty to causing the death of her young daughter through repeated child abuse.

The piece of sh*t chose not to say anything before being sentenced on Wednesday, although bailiffs handed her, along with a few others in the room, tissues to use for drying tears while the judge talked about the case.

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"This case is really a tragedy," said 6th District Judge Mandy Larsen. "I see a mother who has limited education, who has mental health trauma that she needs treatment to address. A mother who didn't know how to parent and oftentimes her child paid the price."

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Larsen said it is clear from the child's injuries, including scars and bones in various stages of healing, that she was abused for the two years she was alive. The judge said she was not just abused physically but was neglected as well and was not brought to any doctors, even when the mom had been connected with the Division of Child and Family Services and should have known she could reach out for help.

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Anyi Nicol Canales Cruz, 22, pleaded guilty on July 12 to reckless child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony, and aggravated child abuse injury, a third-degree felony.

Larsen sentenced Canales Cruz to at least three years and up to life in the Utah State prison for the homicide charge, and between zero and five years in prison for the other charge, and said the sentences will run concurrently.

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Her attorney, David Angerhofer, said Canales Cruz is taking accountability for her actions. He said she was born in Honduras and came to the United States without any support system and no one to teach her how to be a good mom.

"She's kind of navigating these waters on her own as a non-U.S. citizen," he said.

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The mother's boyfriend, 51-year-old Juan Castillo, was also sentenced on Wednesday after not reporting the abuse that he saw happening, or had reason to believe was happening. His sentencing was after the hearing for Canales Cruz, because she expressed that she did not want to be in the courtroom with him.

Castillo pleaded guilty to reckless child abuse, a third-degree felony, and also chose not to speak at his sentencing.

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Larsen sentenced Castillo to between zero and five years in prison, but suspended that sentence in favor of one year in the county jail and three years of probation. Attorneys said likely he would be deported to Mexico after he is released from jail rather than beginning probation.

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Bobbo said:

What a crock in sentencing.

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For her, yeah for him, I get it. They'll deport him the day he walks free.

Josh P said:

For her, yeah for him, I get it. They'll deport him the day he walks free.

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Whoopy dippy ding dong. He’ll turn around and waltz right back across. Now shipping her pathetic ass back to Honduras might mean something. At least it would take her longer to get her baby murdering ass back here.

Rebooto67 said:

ANY animal knows how to raise, to nurture, to love their offspring. Apparently only people need additional education to do this...this is sad. Konrad Lorenz, a notorious behavioral scientist, once said: " the human race is an accident product of nature". Seems he was right. Sometimes I am deeply ashamed of my species. So many of them being destructive. Destroying the better ones, so in the end...there will be only the worst individuals left...God help us all

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Sometimes kittens have to be removed because the cat is not taking care of them or has abandoned them.

Sugar Cookie said:

Sometimes kittens have to be removed because the cat is not taking care of them or has abandoned them.

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yea but mostly it is because the female doesn't feel healthy, or not procucing enough milk to feed them or that the kittens have been so overhandled by the humans she doesn't smell them as hers but only the humans on her kittens and leave them for the humans to take care of like they take care of her... and at times it is because mother cat was caught on her first heat and not fully grown or too old ...

Sugar Cookie said:

Sometimes kittens have to be removed because the cat is not taking care of them or has abandoned them.

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Sugar Cookie said:

Sometimes kittens have to be removed because the cat is not taking care of them or has abandoned them.

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But as far as I know this is only done by captive or domesticated animals, which means the ones that got in touch and being poisoned by humans

Busy Bee said:

A lack of education is one thing, She was an evil person who beat her child , she broke her bones, bruised her, drugged her and killed her! Perhaps she was uneducated, but she was evil, she beat her child and let a man beat her too!

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exterminate it!!!!!!