The 5-year-old Queens girl allegedly beaten to death by her mother sustained horrific injuries to her heart, eyes, lungs and brain, prosecutors said Friday, as the woman accused in the killing was ordered held without bail.
The disturbing allegations emerged during the arraignment of Francis Cabello in Queens Criminal Court on a second-degree murder charge. Cabello had reportedly told a 911 operator, “I killed my daughter.”
First responders found the child, Fabiana Cabello, inside the family’s South Richmond Hill home shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday, after her 32-year-old mother made the chilling call.
Franklin Cabello, Fabiana’s grandfather, spoke to reporters in Spanish outside the courthouse. “As a family, we feel mentally and physically destroyed. We can’t think [clearly] but we put our confidence in God,” he said.
“She was very respectful, quiet, and she always treated me like a father, she treated me with respect… She loved her daughter… She wasn’t in control. She didn’t make this decision in her right mind. She was under some kind of influence.”
“I forgive my daughter,” he added, tears in his eyes.
When police reached the home, officers immediately began performing CPR on the unconscious child.
“But given the severity of her condition, they didn’t even wait for an ambulance,” Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Ruzza said. Officers placed Fabiana in a patrol car and drove her to Jamaica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Ruzza said Cabello made several statements to police “in reference to not only killing the child but wanting to have killed her child.”
According to prosecutors, Fabiana had appeared to be in good health and had been running around the home for hours. Her mother then took her to a second-floor bedroom, locked the door and emerged alone about 45 minutes later before calling 911.
First responders found Fabiana lying face down on the floor, with blood coming from her nose.
Police said Francis Cabello and her daughter were the only people inside the room.
A neighbor who identified himself as Carlos said Cabello appeared stoic when she was arrested and showed no emotion as officers led her away in handcuffs.
“She was not crying, it was like nothing happened,” he told The Post.
“It’s too much emotions together. I feel sad for the child.”
Erika Santiago, 43, a licensed practical nurse who lives across the street, said she heard “a lot of yelling” Wednesday night before emergency crews arrived.
“I heard about this when I woke up this morning at 6 o’clock and it’s absolutely devastating, devastating,” said Santiago, who has two daughters, ages 10 and 12.
“And it’s right across the street and they brought her to the hospital I work at. It’s so close to home.”
An autopsy by Dr. Lin of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner found scrapes on the child’s face, petechiae in her eyes, heart and lungs, a swollen brain, bruising on her extremities, and intramuscular hemorrhaging around her shoulder blade and lower back. Court documents and prosecutors said the injuries were consistent with asphyxiation.
Additional reporting by Marie Pohl