A New Mexico mom was arrested after she allegedly hit her daughter’s head on the wall so hard that she lost her life. Vanessa Chavez reportedly hurt the toddler because she was “fussy” and hurt her feelings. Here are the bone-chilling details of the abuse the mother inflicted on her innocent child.
The authorities found the toddler unresponsive when they arrived at the family’s northeast Albuquerque home. When the paramedics arrived at the house on August 2, a man was trying to give the toddler CPR in an attempt to revive her.
The paramedics then took charge of the situation and performed CPR on the girl, only to find her still unconscious. A Santa Fe New Mexican report revealed that the authorities declared the toddler dead on the scene itself. The girl’s 7-year-old brother was reportedly at the scene as it unfolded.
The mother of two allegedly told her son to keep his mouth shut about whatever happened in the house that led to the toddler’s death. “He can’t tell what happened to his sister. Nothing will happen if he tells,” the cops shared about the death of the toddler identified as EM in official documents.
The 7-year-old initially told the cops that his sister had just fainted out of nowhere, and added that their “mom didn’t kill her.” After a while, the boy, identified as AM, told the authorities that Chavez was “bad to his sister.” He also shared how the mother of two was “beating up” her daughter.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of alleged child abuse & death.
Vanessa Chavez, 40, has been charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death after allegedly slamming her toddler daughter’s head against a wall in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The incident… pic.twitter.com/fIw5T6Di6r
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) August 11, 2025
“She slammed her on the wall. Then she died. AM hopes she will come alive,” detectives working on the case shared. More shocking details of the case came to light after the investigation that followed the toddler’s death.
Chavez had reportedly lost custody of the girl right after she was born. The reason for the same was that authorities found drugs in the infant’s body at the time. The late toddler’s custody was then given to a family member who raised her. Chavez and the father of the toddler gained custody of their daughter after they completed the court-ordered reunification plan this year.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of alleged child abuse & death.
Vanessa Chavez, 40, has been arrested in New Mexico, charged with child abuse resulting in death, after her 18-month-old daughter reportedly died from injuries consistent with child abuse. The…
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) August 8, 2025
The father of the toddler later revealed how Chavez was always jealous because the toddler preferred him over her mother. “It was hurting Vanessa’s feelings, and she had cried because she did not understand why EM was so fussy with her,” detectives noted in the complaint.
The child’s autopsy revealed that she suffered a “large subdural hemorrhage,” which led to her death. Jail records reveal that Vanessa Chavez has been accused of intentional child abuse. She is currently being held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center without bond.
