Delusion is a scary thing to witness and objectively fascinating when other people are pulled into said delusions. What people are willing to convince themselves of in order to cope with the reality of a situation really has no limitations. I am always flummoxed when people can defend the most deplorable actions with a straight face, and frankly, the case of a New Mexico mom has to be one of the most egregious I’ve heard in a while.
Law & Crime reported that Doraelia Espinoza pleaded “no contest” to reckless abuse of a child resulting in death and child abuse in the case of her blind 16-year-old daughter’s death, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.
In 2022, Espinoza brought the disabled teen to the hospital when it was already too late. The unidentified girl was found weighing 40 pounds at the time of her death, and there are even more harrowing details.
“Doctors discovered the teen was extremely malnourished with no fat tissue or muscle,” prosecutors wrote, according to Law & Crime. “She also had scrapes and rashes around her vaginal area, and maggots crawling out of her body.”
The room the teen was staying in was also covered in “flies, feces, and blood,” KRQE reported.
Through her translator, the mom of five living children claimed, “I never wanted this. I want to say that I love my children with my whole heart from the oldest to the youngest. I’m not a bad person, I’m just a hard working mother who does everything for her children,” per KRQE.
One of Espinoza’s daughters asked the court for leniency, saying via the defense attorney, “I respectfully ask that you consider her lifelong history as a hard working, kind and devoted mother when deciding the sentencing.”
But prosecutors and law enforcement did not see it that way at all.
“This case stands out as one of the most heartbreaking. Not just myself but for my unit that we’ve encountered. And not just because of the harm done but who inflicted it,” shared Detective Roger Garcia of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, per KRQE.
“This case is not a tragic accident, a lapse in judgment, a parent that is frustrated, this case is about prolonged abuse,” added Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, Bernalillo County deputy district attorney, according to the outlet.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced Espinoza to 15 years instead of the typical 18 years, taking into account the mother’s “mental illness.”
“It was physical injury and suffering of this child that took place, it didn’t happen in a moment or a reckless quick decision this happened at a minimum of five or six days,” Bernalillo County District Court Judge Bruce Fox said, according to KRQE.
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.
