An Anaheim woman, Mayra Chavez, has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in prison for torturing her 10-year-old stepdaughter and abusing three other children in her household. Chavez, 33, received a sentence of seven years to life, along with an additional seven years and 10 months, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

The horrific case came to light when the young girl was found severely tortured, weighing only 50 pounds and unresponsive, in August 2022. She had a broken neck, an unhealed sore with a bone sticking out, and bruises covering her body. Chavez's stepdaughter was rushed to Children's Hospital of Orange County, with medical staff describing it as the worst case of trauma and child abuse they had ever seen.

An investigation led to the arrest of Chavez and the girl's father, Domingo Junior Flores, who brought her to the hospital and falsely claimed she had hurt herself and fallen down the stairs. The couple's Anaheim apartment was searched, revealing the presence of zip ties throughout the home. Prior to this, concerns had been raised by family members, leading to a welfare check at the residence.

During the trial, graphic details emerged of the torture inflicted on the 10-year-old girl. She was forced to kneel on raw rice and tin cans while being hogtied, plunged face-first into a bathtub filled with ice while zip-tied, and had a habanero pepper rubbed into her eyes. Witnesses, including three other children who were also victims of Chavez's abuse, testified to the horrific treatment they had witnessed.

In a tearful courtroom, the 10-year-old victim read a victim impact statement expressing her hope that Chavez would die. Her biological mother described the horror of seeing her emaciated daughter, "skin and bones, bruises and scabs," in the pediatric ICU.

Before Chavez's sentencing, Orange County Superior Court Judge Scott Steiner delivered a scathing statement, referring to Chavez as a "bridge troll" and a "demon." He described the case as the most horrific he had ever presided over.

Chavez was convicted in October on multiple charges, including one felony count of torture, two felony counts of child abuse and endangerment, one felony enhancement of causing great bodily injury, and a lesser assault offense involving her 17-year-old son. Flores, the girl's father, is awaiting trial on similar charges.

The case has prompted Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer to launch a review into the systematic failures that allowed the abuse to go undetected. Spitzer expressed concern that the abuse had become normalized in the household, leaving the children to believe it was their fault. He emphasized the need to uncover what went wrong and prevent future tragedies.

This heartbreaking case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance when it comes to protecting children from abuse and the necessity of a well-functioning system to intervene and provide support to those in need.