Graphic Warning: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The death of 8-year-old Genesis Mata reveals more about the little girl and her life, as well as new details on the case out of Bakersfield, California.
“Cases like this are especially tragic, especially when you’re dealing with juvenile victims and some of the most innocent in our community,” said Bakersfield Police Assistance Chief Brent Stratton.

Genesis Mata was set to start second grade at Pauly Elementary next week. She loved to dance, her grandmother said at a vigil Sunday night outside of the Riverside Drive motel room where her body was found.

“She loved music. She loved everything, she loved people, she was a light, kind, so polite,” said Ruth Mata.

Genesis was found dead in a tub inside a locked bathroom of a room of the La Quinta Inn on Riverside Drive on Saturday evening.

Stratton said it was a gruesome scene.

“The significant amount of trauma that the child sustained, and was subjected to is what lead to the charges of torture. With our investigators saying this being one of the most significant cases they’ve ever seen,” Stratton said.

After a long night of investigating, serving multiple search warrants and talking to witnesses at the motel, 31-year-old Ray Mata, Genesis’ father, and 27-year-old Graciela Bustamonte, her stepmother, were arrested for murder. Mata has a history of drug and gun convictions.

Ray Mata has a child support case filed in August of 2022, ordering him to pay $512 dollars to Bustamonte for a child they shared. Mata and Bustamonte are charged with nine felonies including first degree murder, torture, mayhem, cruelty, conspiracy, and failure to provide for a child.

While we don’t know the exact nature of Genesis’ injuries, the charges provide some insight into the trauma she endured. The charge of mayhem is described under California Law, as conduct that maliciously deprives somebody of a body part, such as disfigurement or making the body part useless.

Police said seven other children were taken into protective custody from both Mata and Bustamonte.