On February 8, 2024, 21-month-old Ian Garcia-Machado was transported to a hospital in Glendale, Arizona, and pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed the child died primarily from a lacerated liver and detached bowel causing fatal internal bleeding, and that he had been abused over a long period of time. The child's mother's boyfriend, Francisco Felix-Higuera, who was caring for the child while the mother was at work, admitted to throwing the child approximately four feet after the child's diaper broke, after which the child began vomiting uncontrollably and struggling to breathe. Felix-Higuera also admitted to beating the child with a belt and forcing his mouth open to eat. The child had extensive bruising across his body. The mother, Maria Perez-Machado, was accused of allowing the abuse to occur and failing to seek medical care for the child. Both were charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Multiple inflicted injuries are described. The KTAR article states: "Felix-Higuera admitted to doing so" (beating the child with a belt) and that "he threw the child from a height of about four feet." The WLBT article states: "Higuera also admitted to police to beating the boy with a belt on his chest and backside" and "Higuera then admitted to throwing the boy about four feet above the ground and into a crib." Additionally, the WLBT article notes Higuera admitted that "the bruises on his cheeks were from when he forced the boy's mouth open to eat."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The WLBT article states that the couple "did not get him medical help" and that Perez "was arrested and faces a child abuse charge since police said she allowed the abuse to happen and didn't give the boy medical care when he needed it." The KTAR article also notes that the child was not taken to a doctor after a car accident: "she didn't go to police at the time of the alleged incident because the child wasn't secured in the vehicle." Additionally, the child was reportedly throwing up and not eating for days before being taken to a CVS rather than a hospital.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
The KTAR article states: "Machado-Perez said the boy was bruised after sustaining injuries in a hit-and-run car accident outside of the residence the family was staying at about two weeks earlier." The WLBT article corroborates: "Perez was rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver and the boy was not in a car seat or wearing a seatbelt." While used partly as an excuse for injuries, both suspects confirmed a car accident occurred.
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
The DCS statement (Document 2) states: "The report alleged Ms. Perez-Machado had given birth to a child and tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. The report also alleged alcohol use by Ms. Perez-Machado during the pregnancy." These are specific allegations of prenatal substance exposure. However, the statement also notes: "The DCS investigation did not find evidence to support the allegations. The allegation was unsubstantiated and no services were offered to the family." Because the allegations were unsubstantiated, the evidence for this condition is ambiguous.
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
The WLBT article states the autopsy revealed the child "was abused over 'a long period of time.'" The KTAR article reports that Felix-Higuera admitted to "beating the child with a belt" and that "The victim was disciplined by Felix-Higuera by placing the boy in the corner of a room to look at a wall for 20-30 minutes." Imposing corner-standing punishment on a 1-year-old, combined with repeated belt beatings, throwing the child from four feet, and the autopsy confirmation of long-term abuse, constitutes a pattern of prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment beyond typical physical abuse.
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "The child's mother, Maria Perez-Machado, and her significant other, Francisco Felix-Higuera, were both charged with first degree murder and child abuse due to Ian's death." The WLBT article clarifies that Perez "was arrested and faces a child abuse charge since police said she allowed the abuse to happen and didn't give the boy medical care when he needed it."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
The fatality report identifies Francisco Felix-Higuera as the mother's "significant other." The KTAR article describes him as the mother's "boyfriend" and explicitly states he "wasn't the boy's biological father." He was charged with first-degree murder and child abuse after admitting to multiple acts of violence against the child.
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "On August 10, 2023, a report was received alleging neglect to a child by Maria Perez-Machado. The allegations were unsubstantiated. There were no services provided and the case was closed on October 2, 2023." The DCS statement (Document 2) provides further detail that this report alleged the mother "had given birth to a child and tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana." This prior report was about a child (likely a sibling) before Ian's death.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The fatality report (Document 1) states: "The child's mother, Maria Perez-Machado, and her significant other, Francisco Felix-Higuera, were both charged with first degree murder and child abuse due to Ian's death." The WLBT article adds: "Higuera was arrested and booked into jail on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse. Perez was arrested and faces a child abuse charge." The KTAR article confirms both were arrested with cash bonds set ($1.5 million for Felix-Higuera and $500,000 for Machado-Perez).
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The DCS statement (Document 2) references the prior report: "The report alleged Ms. Perez-Machado had given birth to a child and tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana. The report also alleged alcohol use by Ms. Perez-Machado during the pregnancy." While the DCS investigation "did not find evidence to support the allegations" and the allegation was unsubstantiated, substance use by the parent/caregiver is referenced in the text. The certainty is ambiguous because the allegations were unsubstantiated.
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text. First, the KTAR article reports that "Dispatchers struggled to understand Machado-Perez because of a language barrier" during the 911 call, which may have affected emergency response time. Second, the prior DCS report (August 2023) alleged the mother tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana at the birth of a child and alleged alcohol use during pregnancy; despite these specific allegations, the investigation was unsubstantiated and "no services were offered to the family" (Document 2), representing a potential missed opportunity for intervention. Third, cell phone video evidence from Higuera's phone played a key role: the WLBT article states "A video from Higuera's cellphone taken on Thursday morning showed the child didn't have any bruises on his face, but another video taken around 6 p.m. showed bruises on his face and body," establishing a timeline for the fatal injuries. Fourth, the child was not in a car seat during a hit-and-run accident approximately two weeks before death, and no medical care or police report was sought after that incident.
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