Man in US illegally indicted for 3-month-old daughter's murder in Virginia

BAILEY’S CROSSROADS, Va. - A 28-year-old man identified as a Guatemalan undocumented immigrant has been indicted for killing his baby daughter at their home in Fairfax County earlier this year.

What we know:

Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated murder and felony child abuse in connection to the death of his 3-month-old daughter in March.

During a preliminary hearing earlier this month, a detective testified that Gomez admitted to repeatedly hitting his daughter. A medical examiner also testified, stating that the baby's injuries led to her death.

The case was initially charged as second-degree murder, but prosecutors asked the grand jury to return an indictment on the more serious charge of aggravated murder. A conviction for aggravated murder carries a mandatory life prison sentence. Gomez's trial date will be set on Thursday.

The backstory:

Officers were called to an apartment on the 3400 block of Lake Street in Bailey’s Crossroads on March 27 for a report of an unresponsive infant.

Police said the baby was in Gomez’s care when officers arrived and found her not breathing. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 

Medical staff told investigators they found signs of abuse, and the medical examiner later determined the child died from blunt‑force trauma.

Dig deeper:

The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that Gomez is a Guatemalan undocumented immigrant who admitted in an interview to crossing the New Mexico border illegally in July 2023.

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