A California couple was arrested on nearly 30 criminal charges, including torture, after investigators said an 11-year-old girl was severely abused.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office on Monday identified the couple as 37-year-old Priscilla Mestaz and 36-year-old Anthony Machuca, saying they forced the child to sleep in the backyard, as well as an unfinished garage without a bed or heat.
“The garage was not a converted living space, lacking heating and air conditioning, and insulation, leaving the child exposed to unsafe temperatures year-round,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Priscilla Mestaz (Photo: Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office)
Anthony Machuca (Photo: Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office)
At times, Mestaz and Machuca restrained and dragged the child with a dog leash, according to authorities.
In a criminal complaint, prosecutors with the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office alleged the abuse happened between January 2025 and January 2026 and included repeated physical violence, such as strangulation, punching, and slapping, and verbal abuse.
They also alleged that the couple withheld “adequate nutrition” from the girl, which caused her to become malnourished, as well as forced her “to perform strenuous physical exercise to the point of exhaustion under threat of assault.”
The sheriff’s office said the charges included 27 felony and misdemeanor counts. Among them are the following:
Authorities said the case began in late January after deputies responded to a report of a child who refused to return home, telling them her aunt was abusing her. Deputies and detectives with the Special Victims Unit responded to the house and spoke to Mestaz and Machuca.
Investigators learned the girl had been in the couple’s custody since the summer of 2024. Following an initial investigation and an interview, Mestaz and Machuca were identified as suspects.
According to authorities, the girl described ongoing abuse over an extended period of time. A search warrant executed at the home uncovered surveillance cameras, with video obtained by investigators corroborating the girl’s account.
During the investigation, officials also learned that Mestaz worked as a child and family services case manager for an area organization.
Machuca was arrested at the home during the initial response. Mestaz, who was pregnant at the time, was taken into custody on March 12 following the birth of her child.
Her newborn, as well as a 4-year-old child found at the home, were taken into protective custody by Stanislaus County Child Protective Services, which is assisting in the investigation.
Mestaz and Machuca were held on $1 million bail.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges might be filed as detectives continue to review evidence.
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