A Texas couple have been accused of disposing of their two-year-old daughter's remains in a container of acid.
Monica Dominguez, 37, and Gerardo Zavala Loredo, 32, are charged with abuse of a human corpse and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by altering, destroying or concealing a human corpse after the toddler's remains were found on Thursday in Laredo, Texas. Dominguez is also charged with endangering a child, the Laredo Morning Times reported.
Laredo Police said Dominguez told officers that two of her children were bathing unsupervised when her daughter, identified as Rebecka Zavala, drowned. Dominguez said she recruited Zavala Loredo to dispose of the toddler's body, Webb Count District Attorney Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz told reporters.
Authorities received a call from a concerned neighbor and conducted a search of the couple's apartment in the 1800 block of Jefferson Street at around 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Investigators found in a bedroom closet the child's remains stuffed in a 5 gallon container which appeared to also contain acid.
Alaniz described the scene "overwhelming," according to KGNS. "As you can imagine, it's very difficult for all of us in law enforcement and for the first responders to be in a situation to come across a scene like we did yesterday," he said.
The district attorney told the Laredo Morning Times that the victim's body would be examined for "injuries consistent with a murder."
"We need to wait to see what the science tells us," he said. "Right now there's more questions than answers."
The couple was being held at the Webb County Jail, court records revealed. Judge Leticia Martinez ordered Zavala Loredo be held on a $125,000 bond and Dominguez be held on a $175,000 bond.
Dominguez, who had a previous probation charge from an injury to a child case, remained in jail on Tuesday. Meanwhile, an immigration hold was placed on Zavala Loredo because he is allegedly in the United States illegally, according to KTRK.
Four children, between the ages of 1 and 11, were found at the apartment and turned over to Child Protective Services.
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