GLENDALE – Telemundo Couple charged in death of child in Phoenix/Tucson

GLENDALE – A Sonora man is accused of causing the death of his partner’s son, Ian Alejandro Garcia Machado, one year and nine months. Court documents detail that the minor died from injuries caused by the continued abuse; The victim’s mother was also charged with child abuse.

On Thursday, February 8 at approximately 6:37 p.m., Glendale Police received a call from Garcia Machado’s mother, however, due to a language barrier, the call could not be completed.

According to court documents, the mother, identified as Maria Machado Perez, 20, went to CVS with Garcia Machado in her arms to ask for help because she wasn’t breathing. The pharmacy immediately contacted 911 to report the case.

Agents arrived at approximately 6:44 a.m. and found Garcia Machado without a pulse. After trying to save his life, he was taken to Banner Thunderbird Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Officers found bruises on Garcia Machado’s face, chest, arms, legs and back. Asking the mother about the bruises, she manages to say that they were previously involved in a car accident.

At the scene, agents saw Francisco Felix-Higuera, 23, lead them to a pharmacy. The mother stated that Felix Higuera was her romantic partner and had a 6-month-old son with her but that he was not the father of Garcia Machado. They both lived in a room in the 64th Avenue and Rose Lane area with two minors.

How did this all happen?

Both the mother and Felix-Higuera were questioned by detectives and said they had been in a romantic relationship since Garcia Machado was 2 months old and had no relatives living with them since they had moved from Mexico to the United States.

Garcia Machado’s mother told detectives that Felix-Higuera usually stayed home when he went out to work.

When asked about Garcia Machado’s bruises, the mother said the family had been involved in several accidents, including a car accident 15 days before the incident where Garcia Machado was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected, causing injuries. .

In addition to that incident, the mother indicated that three days before the incident, Garcia Machado fell in the shower and hit the back of his head. Later, the mother changed her version and said that the incident happened a day before the incident where Garcia Machado fell on her face.

In a statement to detectives, the mother admitted her partner hit Garcia Machado multiple times in the face and body with a belt.

After questioning, Garcia Machado’s mother told detectives that she had gone out to work all day on the day of the incident and found her son in good condition. She later claimed to have received several text messages from Felix-Higuera while she was working.

In the text messages he indicated that Felix Higuera told him that he had taken the children to play in the park and that García Machado had fallen which caused his health damage.

According to the mother, the damage worsened and it was then that she received a video call from Felix-Higuera in which García Machado was unresponsive and demanded an immediate return home.

They both decided not to take García Machado to the hospital because they were afraid to be questioned about the bruises and to explain the repeated falls.

Felix-Higuera told detectives that the mother occasionally worked cleaning the house and that she was in charge of the minors on the day of the incident. Additionally, he told detectives about the car accident where the minor suffered injuries but denied impact damage to the windshield; A different version than the one the mother gave the detectives.

After giving his version of why García Machado had so many bruises and marks on his body, Felix-Higuera eventually confessed to throwing García Machado from a height of approximately 4 feet into the crib.

Felix-Higuera told detectives that he cursed at Garcia Machado while throwing him in his crib. Then she found him vomiting in the crib.

During the investigation, investigators responded to the couple’s residence, where they found several items, including children’s clothing, that had vomit on it. Additionally, officers observed a substance that appeared to be dried blood on a pillow.

All the people living with the couple said the mother had gone out to work all day on the day of the incident and the children had been left in the care of Felix Higuera. They also stated that they never heard screaming or crying all day and that Garcia Machado had no bruises on his face the day before the incident.

An autopsy revealed that Garcia Machado had testicular hemorrhage, rectal soft tissue damage, abdominal skin hemorrhage, and multiple hematomas in various parts of the body.

In addition, it was reported that García Machado suffered a chest injury caused by the belt, injuries to his right thigh and hip that were apparently repetitive; And some broken bones.

The main injury that appears to have caused Garcia Machado’s death was damage to the liver and intestines. These injuries caused García Machado to bleed internally until he died within hours.

The mother faces a charge of child abuse, while Felix Higuera faces another charge of first-degree murder.