A 5-year-old girl from Queens, Fabiana Cabello, tragically died after suffering severe injuries, as revealed by prosecutors on Friday. Her mother, Francis Cabello, is now being held without bail on second-degree murder charges.
This grim revelation came during Francis’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court, where she chillingly told a 911 dispatcher, “I killed my daughter.” First responders found Fabiana shortly before 7 p.m. on Wednesday after her mother’s alarming confession.
The girl’s grandfather, Franklin Cabello, spoke to reporters in Spanish outside the court, expressing that the family feels “mentally and physically destroyed.” He added, “We can’t think [clearly] but we put our confidence in God.”
He described his daughter as respectful and loving, implying that she was not in her right mind during the incident, suggesting she was under some influence. “I forgive my daughter,” Franklin said, visibly emotional.
Upon arrival at their home, officers started CPR on the unresponsive child immediately. However, due to the seriousness of her condition, they rushed her to Jamaica Hospital in a patrol car without waiting for an ambulance. Sadly, she was pronounced dead upon arrival, as Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Ruzza noted.
Ruzza further stated that Francis made multiple comments to police about having killed her child, reflecting her state of mind. Reports indicate that Fabiana had been healthy and active in their home shortly before her mother took her to a second-floor bedroom, closed the door, and emerged alone about 45 minutes later to call for help.
When found, Fabiana was discovered face down on the floor, bleeding from her nose. Authorities confirmed that only Francis and Fabiana were present in the room at the time.
Witnesses described Francis as unemotional and calm during her arrest; a neighbor, Carlos, remarked that she didn’t seem to react to the situation. “It was like nothing happened,” he shared, expressing sadness for the child.
Erika Santiago, a nurse living nearby, reported hearing a lot of yelling before the emergency responders arrived. “I heard about this when I woke up this morning at 6 o’clock and it’s absolutely devastating,” she said, noting the proximity of the tragedy to her home.
An autopsy revealed horrifying details about Fabiana’s injuries, including scrapes on her face, petechiae in her eyes, internal damage to her heart and lungs, swelling in her brain, and bruising on her extremities. These findings suggested asphyxiation, as per court documents and the prosecutors’ statements.
