Ashley Mendoza | Homicide Watch Chicago

Prosecutors: Maria Espinoza-Perez beat 3-year-old daughter Ashley Mendoza to death at Northwest Side home

Emily Brosious — Wed, 21 May 2014 14:10:14 -0500

BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN
Chicago Sun-Times

A stay-at-home mother who brutally beat her 3-year-old daughter to death lied to police, telling them that the child stopped breathing following a home invasion at her Northwest Side apartment, Cook County prosecutors said.

Paramedics found Ashley Mendoza on the kitchen floor Sunday night with visible injuries to her forehead, bruising on her hands and legs, scrapes and abrasions on her neck, Assistant State’s Attorney Robert Mack said.

But there was no blood on the girl or near her body.

Police later found blood splatter in Maria Espinoza-Perez bathroom’s vanity and shower, Mack said.

Officer’s also discovered blood splatter in Ashley’s bedroom on a teddy bear, blanket, mattress and her crib’s wooden frame, Mack said.

Espinoza-Perez allegedly had told both the baby’s father and authorities that Ashley stopped breathing after the apartment in the 3300 block of North Natchez Avenue was broken into.

However, police couldn’t find any evidence of forced entry, Mack said.

Espinoza-Perez, 24, later admitted to police she made about the story about her apartment being broken into and admitted causing some of the injuries on Ashley’s body, Mack said.

An autopsy performed Monday found Ashley died of multiple injuries from child abuse and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Noting that the circumstances surrounding Ashley’s death were “horrific,” Judge James Brown Wednesday said “there was no doubt” in his mind Espinoza-Perez that should be held without bond.

Ashley Mendoza / Family Photo

The state Department of Children and Family Services also is investigating the mother for allegations of abuse, according to spokeswoman Karen Hawkins.

The agency has not had previous reports regarding the family, and there are no other children in the home.

The family had lived in their apartment for about three years, their upstairs neighbor said.

Anita Padilla said her neighbors could be worryingly loud at times. Sometimes, their arguments were noisy enough to shake the walls, she said.

“There was a lot of yelling, but it was mostly between the husband and wife,” Padilla said.

The arguments were in Spanish, a language Padilla says she doesn’t speak. She said the arguments never resulted in a police visit.

On Sunday, the neighbors were unusually quiet, Padilla said. “I didn’t even know they were at home.”

Padilla said the girl’s father appeared to be a devoted dad.

“When he would leave every day [for work], she would stand by the window, and he would stand by the car blowing kisses and giving air hugs,” Padilla said.

-- Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire

Comment of the Day: "It's devastating that innocent children should bear angry acts of violence"

Michael Lansu — Tue, 20 May 2014 16:06:21 -0500

Ashley Mendoza, 3, died from child abuse Sunday night at her Northwest Side home. Reader "Thea" posted this about the killing:

It's devastating that innocent children should bear angry acts of violence at the hands of parents who won't resolve their issues and create save havens for their minors. The abuse of children everytime and everywhere and the taking of a child's life is to be met with immdiate and harsh consequences by our courts.

Ashley Mendoza, 3, died from child abuse at Dunning neighborhood home

Michael Lansu — Mon, 19 May 2014 16:47:48 -0500

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO
Chicago Sun-Times

On one side of the street, an elderly woman cooed to a toddler in a stroller Monday morning.

On the other, a death investigator’s sticker sealed the door to an apartment where Ashley Mendoza once blew kisses to her daddy from her window.

Inside that second-floor Northwest Side apartment, investigators searched for clues after 3-year-old Ashley was found dead there Sunday night. Police were questioning a person of interest in the case Monday.

An autopsy Monday found that Ashley died of multiple injuries from child abuse, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Police entered the apartment in the 3300 block of North Natchez Avenue about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, where they found the little girl.

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:48 p.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The family of the toddler had lived in the apartment about three years, said their upstairs neighbor, a stay-at-home mother of three.

That neighbor, Anita Padilla, said police told her the dead child’s mother had reported a break-in Sunday.

Padilla said her neighbors could be worryingly loud at times. Sometimes, their arguments were noisy enough to shake Padilla’s walls, the neighbor said.

“There was a lot of yelling, but it was mostly between the husband and wife,” Padilla said.

Still, things never reached the point to where police had to be called, Padilla said.

The arguments were in Spanish, a language Padilla says she doesn’t speak.

On Sunday, the neighbors were unusually quiet, Padilla said.

“I didn’t even know they were at home,” Padilla said.

Padilla said the father of the toddler appeared to be a devoted dad.

“When he would leave every day [for work], she would stand by the window, and he would stand by the car blowing kisses and giving air hugs,” Padilla said.

-- Contributing: LeeAnn Shelton