A woman who abused her children, as her adopted daughter’s corpse rotted in the attic of their home, accepted a plea deal that would save her from the death penalty.
Maribel Loera will likely spend the next 25 years in prison if a judge agrees to the terms at her Oct. 16 sentencing.
Loera admitted she spent more than two years hiding her adoptive daughter's body while repeatedly abusing her other children.
Police arrested Rafael and Maribel Loera in January 2020 after police and firefighters discovered a child's skeletal remains in the attic of their Phoenix home after a fire, as well as numerous signs of abuse on their other children, according to court documents.
Rafael told investigators that he waited several days after his adoptive daughter
had become very sick before he decided to take her to Phoenix Children’s Hospital in July 2017, documents said.
A trip to the hospital gets diverted to the attic
The girl, who had been renamed Ana Loera, began to vomit and convulse and later died before they reached the hospital, Rafael told police.
Fearing he would lose custody of the other children, Rafael drove back home, wrapped Ana's body in a sheet and hid it in the attic where it decomposed into bones for over two years, documents said.
Ana’s disappearance went unnoticed until January 2020 when another girl in the Loeras' custody called the police to report she was home alone and scared.
The girl later told investigators that Maribel had a “bad temper” and would hit her with various objects such as a knotted extension cord and slam her head into walls, according to court documents. Her body showed injuries indicating she had been struck with a rope-like object.
She also told detectives that she had an older sister who disappeared in 2017.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety removed the girl and two other children who showed numerous signs of physical abuse. Rafael set fire to his home in an attempt to kill himself shortly after the children's removal, according to court documents.
Prosecutors charged the Loeras with first-degree murder and abandonment or concealment of a dead body. They charged Maribel with a dozen counts of child abuse and Rafael with two child abuse counts and one count of arson involving an occupied structure.
A plea to avoid the death penalty
Maribel, now 57, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body and nine counts of child abuse during a Sept. 22 change of plea hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court.
She would receive 22 years for the murder charge and an additional 10 years for four of the nine child abuse charges for a total of 32 years, pending a judge’s approval, but would receive credit for the nearly seven years she’s spent in jail.
Maribel would receive supervised probation for the remaining five child abuse charges upon release from prison should she live that long.
Two victims spoke during the hearing where they described how Maribel’s abuse left them with physical and psychological scars.
One said he felt Maribel should be freed from prison the day he could speak to his deceased sister.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Brad Atrowsky thanked them for their sentiments before scheduling a sentencing for Maribel on the morning of Oct. 16.
Rafael, who hasn’t accepted a plea deal, is scheduled to go to trial on March 8, 2027.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mother who hid child's remains in AZ attic takes plea deal | Exclusive
