LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC – A South Carolina woman was sentenced to 38 years in prison after pleading guilty to child abuse homicide in the death of her 4-year-old daughter in 2017.
Cynthia Estrada-Lopez, who was sentenced on April 1 in Lexington County, will not be entitled to parole, WIS-TV reported.
“The death of this precious 4-year-old girl due to child abuse is one of the most tragic cases we’ve seen. Lilly’s death is incomprehensible to us and is compounded by the insensitive nature of her mother’s actions, ”said 11th Circuit attorney Rick Hubbard during the process.
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According to court records, the first respondents found the child indifferent on the living room floor on July 31, 2017. The girl was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lexington Medical Center, and investigators found evidence of abuse and neglect. , including several bruises on the head and body.
Meanwhile, the girl’s 5-year-old brother told forensic investigators that he witnessed their mother restrain and pin Lilly to her bed and tape the baby’s mouth “so she doesn’t cry”. Lexington County investigators later found evidence to support the child’s report, WLTX reported.
In a voluntary statement to investigators, Estrada-Lopez, 28, confessed to having arrested the girl and put tape on her mouth, which left Lilly “gasping” after her husband, David Steadman, later removed the sticker. Estrada-Lopez also admitted that the couple waited “at least maybe an hour” before seeking medical care for the child, the TV station reported.
An autopsy revealed that Lilly died as a direct result of the aspiration of food particles into her lungs, caused by being contained and having an adhesive tape placed over her mouth. The report also confirmed that the child was dehydrated and suffered a blunt trauma to the head, WIS-TV reported.
Steadman was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February 2020 for his role in Lilly’s death, WLTX reported.