Houston, TX – According to the court documents, the dad, later identified as 33-year-old Justin, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole (must serve 30 years behind bars) for his role in the death of his daughter, 6-year-old Ariana, four years ago. Prosecutors claim the little girl reportedly died after she was beaten by the father and his wife. The defendant’s wife, later identified as Jesica, was convicted on the same charges last year and she received the same sentence.
The investigation began in 2020 when the child’s parents called 911 and told the dispatcher that their daughter was not breathing. The responding officers found the girl wrapped in bed sheet. First responders rushed the child to the hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. During an initial interview with investigators, the girl’s parents reportedly said that their daughter reportedly fell down the stairs. Instead of calling for medical help, the child was sent to bed.
Several hours later, the parents reportedly found the girl unresponsive. The responding officers realized that the child had severe injuries over her body, including beIt marks. During a follow-up interview, the father’s wife reportedly said that she hit the child 5-6 times with a belt because she p-ed in her bed. During the investigation process, authorities also discovered that the girl’s dad would also hit the child regularly.
The parents even hit the child with belt because she was taking too much time to eat. Prosecutors said that the victim’s sister was also beaten regularly and suffered severe abuse. The girl’s father initially told investigators that he didn’t knew about the abuse, but authorities later revealed that his wife regularly updated her husband with photos.