Left inset: Nathan Peru (Pima County Sheriff's Office). Right inset: Tammy Hernandez (KOLD/YouTube). Background: The area in Arizona where Nathan Peru lived while abusing and neglecting his 4-year-old daughter Tammy Hernandez (Google Maps).
Newly released reports show how an Arizona father neglected and abused his daughter for years before the 4-year-old eventually drowned while taking a bath by herself.
Nathan Peru, who died in an officer-involved shooting while awaiting trial, was grabbing nicotine pouches from a car outside his Tucson home and reportedly cleaning his house when his daughter, Tammy Hernandez, died in his bathtub. The 31-year-old had promised to take the little girl to McDonald's for breakfast but she wanted to take a bath first, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Arizona Daily Star.
"On March 16, 2024, the Department of Child Safety received a report regarding 4-year-old Tammy Hernandez, who reportedly drowned in the bathtub and died at home," DCS officials said in a fatality report released last Wednesday, May 13. "The medical examiner determined the child suffered possible drowning, blunt force injuries, and a severe stomach ulcer contributing to her death."
DCS records show that Peru was accused of neglecting and abusing Tammy at least three times in the past. He also had neglect and abuse reports filed against him at least six different times between 2012 and 2021 involving other children.
In Tammy's case, Peru was indicted on charges of child abuse and sexual abuse.
"The Department determined Tammy Hernandez died as result of physical abuse and neglect while in the care of her father," the DCS fatality report said.
Peru told investigators that he filled the bathtub that Tammy drowned in using the showerhead, and that Tammy knew when to turn it off, according to the complaint obtained by the Daily Star. He claimed to have left the bathroom and front door open so he could hear if Tammy called for him while he grabbed his nicotine pouches and cleaned.
Peru told investigators that he was outside for about five minutes. He claimed that he heard a "thump" while outside and thought his dog had knocked over his tools in the living room, per the complaint. When Peru went back inside he said he checked on Tammy and found her "face down in the bathtub," according to police.
In October 2025, Peru was shot and killed after he attacked a corrections officer at a local hospital. DCS officials say the neglect reports filed against him regarding Tammy were all substantiated. Tammy's biological mother was also accused.
Services were provided to the family and Tammy was put into foster care before eventually being returned to Peru in November 2023. Tammy's adoptive mother, Myriam Cisneros, told local CBS affiliate KOLD in August 2024 that the youngster didn't want to be with Peru, but DCS forced her.
"They tell me it's his right. She has the right to visit her dad," Cisneros alleged. "They thought I was overexaggerating when I was asking so many questions. You only ask so many questions because it's your loved one. It don't matter if she wasn't my blood daughter. She was my daughter."
DCS did not respond to Law&Crime's requests for comment Monday.
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