Ashley Zhao Murder: $5M Bonds Set For Parents Of Girl Found Dead At Family Restaurant

It was after an exhaustive day-long search that police announced on Tuesday evening that they had discovered the body of the missing girl. Ashley Zhao had been killed and hidden inside of her father's restaurant, Ang's Asian Cuisine at 4924 Portage St. NW in North Canton. The police did not release the details of exactly how the couple hid their murdered daughter in the family restaurant, however.

Police now say that Mingming Chen struck her 5-year-old daughter in the face several times on Monday. The Stark County Sheriff's Office indicated that after being punching by her mother, a green fluid had been coming from the girl's mouth which her father noticed and washed away. The court documents go on to say that Zhao said that once he had washed up Ashley in the bathroom he noticed that she had stopped breathing. He reportedly laid her on the floor and tried unsuccessfully to revive his daughter by performing CPR. It is unclear if the father had been present when Mingming Chen was allegedly punching the girl, nor is it said where the beating took place. The investigation is ongoing.

Cantonrep.com reported that though the $5 million bond may seem a bit high, Judge Eddie Elum explained that it was set with consideration of the fact that one of the defendants, Chen, could be facing deportation. While Liang Zhao is a U.S. citizen, he is known to have relatives in New York and both are flight risks. The couple will have their preliminary hearings at the Massillon Municipal Court once more on January 17 at 11 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled for Ashley Zhao today.

The non-profit riders club, Unforgiven, will be hosting a candlelight vigil for Ashley Zhao on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in front of Ang's restaurant and are asking persons to show their support to end child abuse.

[Featured Image by Stark County Sheriff's Department/Jackson Township Police]