Nathalyz Rivera

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos Rivera initially found his twin daughter, Nathlayz, unresponsive around midnight in the family's bug-infested home. Instead of going to police and the ambulance, he called the mother, who was over at a male friend's house.  The mother and friend came to the house, took Nathlayz, and transported her to the E.R. where she was pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled this a homicide, manner of death, starvation."

 

Nathlayz only weighed 11 pounds at the time of her death, less than half the weight of the average three year old.

Nathlayz had not seen a doctor in over a year, even with all her severe disabilities. Ramirez told police her daughter was blind and had Down syndrome, and Nathlayz’s tiny body showed bites apparently from fleas that were found inside the filthy home. Investigators found the house filled with so much trash that they were unable to climb the stairs and had to take photographs of the scene through windows. They also found rodents and insects inside the home. The medical staff saw a roach crawl across Nathalyz's body when she was taken to hospital. Cindy Christian, medical director for the Department of Human Services said "Her condition suggested she had 'starved like people in concentration camps starved'."

 

Nathalyz’s family had one previous contact with DHS, a complaint was made against the family in 2008, before Nathalyz was born. Rivera has previously been arrested on drug and assault complaints in Philadelphia and Delaware, and has served jail terms for drug charges on two occasions.

 

Carmen Ramirez was receiving $2,130 a month in SSI benefits for three of her children, but had not been home in two months at the time of Nathalyz’s death. Carlos Rivera who lived with Ramirez’ five children in the garbage filled house, told police that he fed the children pizza and baby food, and changed Nathalyz’s diaper twice a day, but stopped for the week before she died because he ran out of diapers. Both Carmen Ramirez and Carlos Rivera were charged with third degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, criminal conspiracy and child endangerment charge.