LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Lancaster County woman will serve up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to her role in the death of a 2-year-old girl in 2017, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Wednesday.
Angela Diaz pleaded guilty to Third-Degree Murder in September, Shapiro said. She was sentenced to a prison term of 15 to 30 years by the Honorable Howard Knisely, Shapiro said.
The victim, 2-year-old Brooklyn March, was in Diaz's custody for approximately four months while her parents were in Georgia, Shapiro said.
In May 2017, police responded to Diaz’s home and found the 2 year-old girl unresponsive. The child was taken to Hershey Medical Center, where an examination of the body revealed that the toddler had suffered malnutrition and brain trauma from a severe impact while in Diaz’s custody and care, according to Shapiro.
Investigations conducted by both the Lancaster County District Attorney and Shapiro’s office determined that Diaz caused the child’s death. Evidence showed that on the date of her death, the victim vomited after eating an egg and olive sandwich. Diaz responded by kicking and body slamming the victim against a firm surface in the house.
The impact was forceful enough to cause separation of the child’s retinas and resulted in bleeding in the child’s brain, Shapiro said.
“Today, we remember 2-year-old Brooklyn March, who was taken from us by Angela Diaz,” said Shapiro. “Diaz now faces the consequences of her actions and will go to prison for a long time. My Office is committed to defending our most vulnerable, and there are none more vulnerable than our children. We will continue to hold child abusers accountable and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
