Background: A section of the 3400 block of Lake Street in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia (Google Maps). Inset: Misael Lopez Gomez (Fairfax County Police Department).
A father in Virginia is accused of taking his frustrations with life out on his 3-month-old daughter and beating her to death before waiting an hour to call 911.
Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, has been charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse in the death of his child, the Fairfax County Police Department announced on March 31. The defendant has been held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond, and he appeared in court on Wednesday.
On March 27 at about 7:30 p.m., police responded to the 3400 block of Lake Street in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia, because of a report "of an unresponsive infant." The area is about 8 miles southwest of Washington.
Arriving officers determined that the girl wasn't breathing, and they, along with other emergency personnel, cared for her until she was brought to a local hospital.
The child was pronounced dead there, and an autopsy determined that her preliminary cause of death was blunt force trauma. Police said the baby at the time was in the care of her father, Lopez Gomez, and "detectives and hospital staff observed evidence consistent with abuse."
He was arrested and booked into jail, and the investigation continued. This week, authorities shared what they allegedly uncovered.
Lopez Gomez told investigators he punched his daughter four times because he was "angry" with life and work, according to testimony reported by regional CBS affiliate WUSA. The defendant apparently admitted to this in an interview three days after police were called to the home, adding that the baby was unresponsive after his second punch.
After the attack, Lopez Gomez reportedly tried to resuscitate his child and called his cousin and uncle into the room for help. The three are said to have then waited approximately an hour before calling 911.
There were also signs of previous injuries, Fairfax County Assistant Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Megan Kessler testified. The girl had calluses on her ribs, showing signs of a previous fracture.
Lopez Gomez's defense attorney apparently argued that the child was with a babysitter earlier on the day in question and that his alleged punches did not kill the girl. The victim's mother sat in the courtroom as details and allegations were shared, with Lopez Gomez himself solemn, per the local outlet.
Lopez Gomez is known to federal authorities. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he "admitted that he illegally crossed the United States Southern Border in July 2023 near Albuquerque, New Mexico." The agency said that after his arrest on the murder charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer on Lopez Gomez to prevent his release from custody.
"This cold-blooded killer murdered his own three-month-old daughter. We are calling on Governor Spanberger to commit to not releasing this barbaric animal from jail into Virginia communities," said then-acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis at the time. "This monster should have never been allowed in our country."
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