Parents Accused Of Killing Their Daughter And Hiding Her Remains At Home

Rafael Loera and Maribel Loera, the adoptive parents of 11-year-old Charisma Márquez, face charges for the girl's murder. The body of the minor, who was reported missing two years ago in Arizona, was found in the attic of her home. On January 28, firefighters arrived at the couple's home in a fire and discovered human bones while they were at the home, the Phoenix Police Department reported.

The girl's body was hidden inside the house's drywall and was found after firefighters put out the fire, Arizona Republic reported. Rafael admitted that it was the corpse of Ana Loera, her adoptive daughter, whose real name is Charisma Márquez, according to KIRO.

In July 2017, Charisma allegedly became ill and the couple was slow to take her to the hospital. After a few days, they decided to take her to the doctor and the girl died on the way, according to Rafael. The couple feared that the authorities would take away their other children, so they decided to wrap the girl's body and hide it in the attic, authorities revealed.

A week before the fire, officers went to the same house after receiving a call alerting us that there was another 11-year-old adopted girl who was left alone in the home. When the officer arrived, the girl told her that she was hungry because she had been left alone in the house for two days. She also revealed to the police that she had a younger sister, who had disappeared in 2017.

Authorities took two other children from the home, ages 4 and 9, and revealed that the minors showed signs of abuse. Rafael reportedly started the fire to try to kill himself, but a neighbor called firefighters. The couple was arrested and the case is still under investigation.