A Chicago mother reportedly told police that “voices” in her head led her to kill her young daughter.
Marisol Vazquez, 37, was charged with first-degree murder for the death of her daughter, Lucia, on December 20 at about 8:30 a.m., according to reports from NBC 5, CBS News, and The Chicago Tribune. .. Continue reading here ▶
When police arrived, they found Vazquez naked on a bed with Lucia lying behind her. Paramedics tried to save Lucia, who was not breathing, and water came out of the child’s mouth, according to a police report. Officers also found water and clothing in the bathtub.
Lucia was pronounced dead later at Mount Sinai Hospital. Police initially identified her as 1 year old, but prosecutors clarified that she was 21 months old.
During questioning, Vazquez reportedly made strange and confusing statements, claiming she was “trapped by electronics” and saying, “We had to go in the water. We had to be with nature.”
She was taken to Ascension St. Mary Hospital for a mental health evaluation before being arrested on January 2.
According to CBS News, Vazquez confessed to suffocating Lucia with a bedsheet. She claimed “voices” in her head told her she had to kill herself and her daughter to stop the devil from eating her child. She also admitted to trying to drown herself and later attempting to cut herself but failed.
Prosecutors revealed that Vazquez confessed the killing to her sister and asked her not to call the police.
Vazquez is currently being held in Cook County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on January 7. It is unclear if she has an attorney to represent her.
