A mother of six pleaded for mercy as she faced sentencing for the tragic death of her daughter, whose body was found in a horrific state with maggot infestation.

“I never wanted this to happen,” expressed Doraelia Espinoza to Judge Bruce Fox through a translator during her sentencing in January, as covered by Albuquerque news outlet KRQE. “I want to express that I love my children deeply, from the oldest to the youngest. I’m not a bad person. I’m just a hardworking mother who does everything for her children.”

In 2022, the 16-year-old was rushed to the hospital, where medical staff found her “severely malnourished without any fat or muscle tissue,” as detailed in a January 22 press release from the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office in New Mexico. At the time of her death, the girl weighed only 40 pounds and had wounds and rashes near her genital area, with the press release noting “maggots crawling out of her body.”

A criminal complaint provided by the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office to Oxygen.com stated that a nurse reported the child was unresponsive and in full cardiac arrest upon her hospital arrival.

KRQE reported that the teen, referred to as “Maria,” was already deceased when she reached the hospital. She had been blind and suffered from seizures, while the conditions of her living space were appalling, filled with feces, flies, and blood.

“This case is not a tragic accident, a lapse in judgment, a parent that is frustrated,” Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg Koch told Judge Fox during the Bernalillo County District Court hearing in a video published by KRQE. “This case is about prolonged abuse.” 

A detective also told the judge that this case was “one of the most heartbreaking” cases that he and his colleagues have experienced. 

One of Espinoza’s other children asked the judge for leniency for their mom, highlighting her “lifelong history as a hardworking, kind and devoted mother.” 

Espinoza pleaded no contest to Reckless Abuse of a Child (resulting in death) and Abuse of a Child, according to the DA’s statement. Showing graphic photos of the girl’s condition, reported KRQE, the DA requested a sentence of 18 years—the maximum punishment under New Mexico law. 

Ultimately, Judge Fox sentenced Espinoza to 15 years in the New Mexico Corrections Department, citing the abuse which he said occurred “at a minimum over about five or six days.” 

Fox also ordered Espinoza to not have “unwanted contact” with her five other children, according to KRQE 

Espinoza’s attorney Raymond Maestas did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.