Police in Bakersfield, California, received a disturbing call on August 2, 2025, regarding a child at an area hotel. Officers went to the La Quinta Inn on Riverside Drive after the caller reportedly said they learned from another person that a child might be unconscious in the bathroom. Officers broke down the hotel room door when no one answered and found 8-year-old Genesis Ariah Mata dead. Prosecutors say her father, Ray Mata Jr., and stepmother, Graciela Bustamonte, killed her.
According to KGET, police arrived at the hotel just after 5:30 p.m. They found Genesis abandoned with “substantial trauma.” Police arrested Mata and Bustamonte a short time later.
Fox 10 obtained a probable cause statement that outlines horrific abuse. Mata and Bustamonte allegedly scalded Genesis’ skin with hot water, which caused severe burns.
The child also had a crushed hand and fingernails separated from the nail beds. Police noted that Genesis had significant blisters, burns, and splitting skin with evidence of multiple whippings, Fox 10 reported.
Bustamonte allegedly told police that Genesis had died the night before the 911 call. The stepmother claimed Mata had physically abused all of his children for years, regularly beating them with charging cords, wires, and hangers, per Fox 10. Bustamonte reportedly said Mata punched and suffocated his daughter before she died.
Mata, on the other hand, allegedly told police Bustamonte had administered most of the abuse and was the one who decided to use the scalding water as punishment, Fox 10 reported. The father reportedly admitted to beating his children but apparently drew the line at burning Genesis and pulling off her fingernails. He claimed he did neither of those things.
Per the police report, Mata had an active case with Child Protective Services due to his children’s school attendance and bruising on their bodies.
Mata and Bustamonte appeared in court on August 5. They each face charges of first-degree murder, willful cruelty to a child, and torture. They pleaded not guilty.
“The system failed my little cousin, big time,” Genesis’ cousin, Sabrina Guerrero, told KBAK/KBFX after the hearing, “Even her friends, even people that knew, that were close to her, that even actually knew of the abuse, didn’t report it.” Family friend Daisy Gomez said, “There were signs” of abuse.
Guerrero added that CPS allegedly received at least 20 calls about Mata and Bustamonte before Genesis’ death.
“It’s a sad situation, and CPS needs to be held accountable for everything,” she said.
Sophia Hernandez created a GoFundMe account for Genesis’ family following her death. She wrote that Genesis left this world “far too soon.” Hernandez pleaded with readers to speak up if they notice signs of abuse because “It could save a life.”
According to Fox 10, Mata and Bustamonte are being held without bond and are scheduled to appear in court later in August.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
