New Mexico – In a disturbing case that has left New Mexico reeling, a 40-year-old mother, identified as V. Chavez has been charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death after police say she beat her 18-month-old daughter to death. Prosecutors have described the crime as one of the most violent acts a parent can commit against a child. The first-degree felony charge carries the potential penalty of life in prison. As per reports, Chavez, who remains in the county detention center without bond, attacked her daughter just weeks after regaining custody from the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department. The child had been removed from her care at birth after being born premature and with drugs in her system.
On August 2, Albuquerque Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to a home after a report of an unresponsive child. Paramedics arrived to find a man performing CPR on the toddler. Despite taking over resuscitation efforts for 20 minutes, they were unable to revive her. The criminal complaint outlines that Chavez’s 7-year-old son witnessed the attack. Initially hesitant to speak, the boy repeated what Chavez had told him—that he should not say what happened to his sister and keep his mouth shut because he won’t help get her back by telling the truth. At first, he claimed his sister had simply fainted. But as the interview continued, the 7-year-old boy admitted that his mother had been “bad” to his sister and had been “beating her up.” He eventually revealed the most damning detail: he saw Chavez slam the toddler’s head into a wall, after which she died.
The autopsy confirmed the young girl suffered a large subdural hemorrhage caused by trauma. Investigators also documented marks across her head, cheek, arm, ankle, and foot. Chavez attempted to explain the injuries as the result of her daughter falling while learning to walk or tripping during a recent camping trip. She also suggested the toddler might have choked on food in her sleep. Children, Youth and Families Department officials confirmed that the victim had been removed from her parents’ care shortly after birth and placed with another family member because the girl was born with drugs in her system and the couple failed to attend crucial medical follow-ups. Two of the household’s three children had been in state custody for about a year.
In June 2025, the parents’ attorneys moved to dismiss the abuse and neglect case, citing full compliance with a court-ordered reunification plan. No objections were raised by the judge, attorneys, or agency representatives, and the order returning the children was signed on July 21 — less than two weeks before the toddler’s death. According to police, the child’s father said the young girl had been fussy since returning home and often preferred his attention over Chavez’s, something he said visibly upset her. Chavez allegedly cried and expressed that she did not understand why her daughter acted this way toward her.
Children, Youth and Families Department spokesperson J. Preston called the loss “a tragedy of immeasurable proportions” and extended condolences to those affected. State leaders have pointed to the case as part of an ongoing debate over how and when children born drug-exposed should be returned to their parents. Governor Grisham has recently pushed for stricter custody rules, saying newborns exposed to drugs should not be placed back into homes with parents struggling with addiction.
Chavez is being held without bond as prosecutors prepare their case. The District Attorney’s Office has indicated that they intend to pursue the maximum sentence allowed by law. For investigators, the testimony of a frightened 7-year-old — who watched his sister’s final moments — has become the central piece of evidence in a case that underscores both the fragility of reunification efforts and the irreversible consequences of violence inside the home.
