A 14-year-old girl was found unresponsive at her Goshen, California home on January 16, 2024, and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Her father, Raymond Pena, and step-grandfather, Brett Minkler, were subsequently arrested and charged with homicide and felony child abuse resulting in death. Investigation revealed the child had been subjected to prolonged sexual abuse by both men and severe neglect, including untreated health issues for years; she had not been out of bed since November 2023, approximately two months before her death, and had wounds all over her body. The child's mother and grandmother had both died approximately two years prior, leaving her solely in the care of her abusers. When deputies initially responded, the suspects claimed no girl was at the home, delaying the emergency response by hours. Home surveillance cameras captured approximately five months of evidence of the 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)
Document 1 states: "the teenage girl had wounds all over her body." In the context of severe abuse and neglect (including being bedridden since November), these wounds could be from inflicted physical injuries, pressure sores from being bedridden, or injuries associated with sexual abuse. The specific origin or mechanism of the wounds is not detailed, making it ambiguous whether they represent inflicted physical violence such as hitting, kicking, etc., or are a consequence of the severe neglect and prolonged immobility.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The news article (Document 1) quotes the spokesperson: "She had many health issues that were not treated for years and led her body into a state that it was." The sheriff's press release (Document 2) states: "Deputies noticed multiple indicators suggesting severe neglect potentially played a role in the child's death" and "the 14-year-old girl died as a direct result of severe neglect." Untreated health issues over years constitutes medical neglect.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
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)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Multiple documents explicitly describe sexual abuse. The news article (Document 1) states: "detectives say they learned the girl had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father, 50-year-old Raymond Pena, and step-grandfather, 64-year-old Brett Minkler." It further quotes a spokesperson: "It was her own father who sexually abused her for months, probably longer than that." The sheriff's press release (Document 2) confirms: "Pena, and the girl's step-grandfather, 64-year-old Brett Minkler, engaged in prolonged sexual abuse with the 14-year-old and another underage girl."
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 text describes a pattern of prolonged, deliberately cruel treatment extending well beyond typical neglect. Document 1 states: "the girl had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father" and "Left her like an animal on the bed to die." The child "had not been out of bed since November" — effectively confined for approximately two months before her death. Document 1 also notes: "There were surveillance cameras that were found inside the home which were the family's surveillance cameras that caught a lot of the disturbing things that happened inside before the girl died." This combination of prolonged sexual abuse, effective confinement to a bed, and the condition described as "gruesome" constitutes deliberately cruel treatment over an extended period.
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?
Multiple documents identify the biological father as involved. Document 1 states: "detectives say they learned the girl had been repeatedly sexually abused by her father, 50-year-old Raymond Pena." The sheriff's press release (Document 2) confirms: "the girl's father, 50-year-old Raymond Pena" was charged with "Homicide and Felony Child Abuse Resulting In Death for their roles in the death of Pena's 14-year-old daughter."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
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)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Brett Minkler, identified as the girl's step-grandfather, was directly involved in the child's death. Document 2 states: "the girl's step-grandfather, 64-year-old Brett Minkler, engaged in prolonged sexual abuse with the 14-year-old" and that both were charged with "Homicide and Felony Child Abuse Resulting In Death." Document 1 confirms his role and quotes a spokesperson: "Left her like an animal on the bed to die and her own step-grandfather." A step-grandfather qualifies as another adult relative.
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
The Visalia Unified School District statement in Document 1 refers to the child as "one of our former students," indicating she was no longer enrolled at the time of death. Combined with the fact that "the 14-year-old had not been out of bed since November" (Document 1) and died in January, this implies she had been withdrawn from or otherwise removed from school. The school district's use of "former" rather than "current" student strongly suggests she was no longer attending 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)?
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?
Document 2 (sheriff's press release) states: "Both were arrested on March 1, 2024, and booked into custody at the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Adult Pre-Trail Facility. They were charged with Homicide and Felony Child Abuse Resulting In Death for their roles in the death of Pena's 14-year-old daughter." Document 1 confirms: "Pena and Minkler were arrested on March 1 and booked into the Tulare County Sheriff's Office Adult Pre-Trail Facility. They are facing charges of homicide and felony child abuse resulting in death."
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?
Notable Details
Several substantive details not fully addressed by preceding questions are present: (1) When deputies initially responded to the home, "the two men told deputies a girl wasn't there," and only called law enforcement back "hours later" after the victim was unresponsive (Document 1), suggesting active concealment that delayed emergency response. (2) The child's mother and grandmother had both died two years prior, "just months apart" (Document 1), leaving the child solely in the custody of her abusers with no other known protective adults. (3) The suspects had home surveillance cameras that "caught a lot of the disturbing things that happened inside before the girl died" (Document 1), providing investigators with approximately "five months' worth of surveillance video" (Document 3). (4) Investigators identified another 11-year-old neighbor girl who was also being sexually abused by the same suspects, and detectives were "still working to identify other girls who frequently spent time at the suspects' home" (Documents 1 and 2), suggesting a pattern of predatory behavior toward multiple children.
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