MORONI, Utah (ABC4) – A woman who has been accused of killing her own daughter was allegedly making plans to flee the country, according to prosecutors in court documents.
Anyi Nicol Canales Cruz, 22, and her husband, Juan Castillo, 51, were both charged in Sanpete County with first-degree felony child abuse homicide and third-degree felony aggravated child abuse.
After being charged, the Court set bail for Cruz at $150,000 but that has been revoked after police say they overheard Cruz planning on fleeing the United States while in jail.
According to court documents, Cruz spoke to another man who they say was “a paramour” of hers. During one conversation, Cruz allegedly tells the man “The first thing is getting out of here. Once I get out, I’ll figure it out. I have a lot of family in other states, and they will help me.”
Prosecutors say the man recommended the two leave for Mexico, as “you don’t need papers there.” Cruz allegedly replied “Remember I had previously told you we should go, and you didn’t want to. See, you should have listened to me.”
According to court documents, Cruz ended the conversation by telling the man that she was not just planning to run away but to stay in Mexico.
In other recordings, Cruz was allegedly overhead making arrangements with her paramour, family members, and other men to come up with the $150,000 bail. In a court document to overturn bail, prosecutors wrote, “it is clear [Cruz] is making concrete plans to flee the United States, in an effort to avoid facing her charges as currently filed.”
The motion to revoke Cruz’s bail was granted on the same day it was filed.
The child died in a local hospital on Dec. 29, 2022.
An X-ray reportedly showed that the girl previously had broken ribs that were “healed or healing,” the affidavit states, and that there was “a large amount of bruising” over her body that had occurred recently. The deputy was told there were other injuries involved as well, the affidavit states.
The extent of the abuse led authorities to believe that those injuries contributed to the girl’s death. In an interview with Cruz, she reportedly stated that she and her husband had “previously and recently” physically abused her daughter.