Maria Avalos: LA mother arrested on suspicion of using 'strangulation and sharp force' to kill her four-year-old daughter

Police discovered Maria Avalos' daughter, Mia Gonzalez, 4, inside a car in an LA parking lot and took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead
PUBLISHED JAN 29, 2024
Representational Image (Getty Images)
Representational Image (Getty Images)

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services. 

CALIFORNIA: A woman from Los Angeles, California, was taken into custody on Friday, January 26, in connection to the death of her four-year-old daughter.

According to the Sheriff's Information Bureau, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a report of a child being abused at a business parking in the 4800 block of Civic Center Way on Thursday at approximately 11.09 pm.

Maria Avalos arrested on homicide suspicions

Responding deputies found an unconscious child, identified as Mia Gonzalez, inside a car. She was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital after being brought there, according to KABC.

Maria Avalos, the victim's mother, 38, who was also present at the scene, was detained on the spot and was later booked as she was suspected to have murdered her child.

The Department of Medical Examiner determined that the child's cause of death was homicide. As per the autopsy report, Gonzalez died due to "combined effects of strangulation and sharp force."

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is supposed to review the case on January 30. 

Sadiyo Ibrahim Mohamed of Minnesota was given 40 years probation for killing her five-year-old daughter and injuring her son

In December 2023, Sadiyo Ibrahim Mohamed, 34, was given a 40-year probationary period for murdering her five-year-old daughter with a metal rod in May 2021 and injuring her six-year-old son's head and arm.

She was accused of beating her children and chasing them down the street during a previous attempted murder. Records also point to possible mental health issues, including schizophrenia, which may be related to her violent acts against her children.

(Washington County)
Sadiyo Ibrahim Mohamed was sentenced to 40 years probation for killing her daughter  (Washington County)

After Mohamed's assault, her daughter was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood, while her son suffered severe contusions. Her daughter received treatment for three weeks but died in June 2021. 

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