COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A mom and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection to the death of 5-year-old Emily Canales on Jan. 13, 2022.
Colorado Springs Police said 27-year-old Brianne Escamilla, Emily's mother, and 26-year-old Matthew Urias, Brianne's boyfriend, were arrested for Murder in the 1st Degree.
"She was just a beautiful little girl. She always said 'Hi' to everybody. Always wanted to talk to everybody," says Manuel Canales, Emily's biological father who lives in El Paso, Texas.
According to the arrest affidavit obtained by KOAA News 5, Emily fainted multiple times in the days leading up to her death. Escamilla and Urias both reportedly admit to hitting or physically punishing Emily, but each suspect places the blame for abuse on the other.
The document says Emily's long brown hair had been shaved off before her body was found and her mom eventually admitted to shaving it as punishment.
Canales says he had just started the legal process to get custody of Emily before her death.
"I'm still in denial, still in denial, like I don't want to believe this."
On Jan. 13, officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department responded to a request for assistance from the Colorado Springs Fire Department while attempting life-saving measures on Emily.
Officers then notified the Crimes Against Children Unit after Emily was transported to a hospital where she later died.
Following an autopsy, Emily's death has been ruled a homicide with multiple blunt force injuries listed as the cause.
The autopsy report obtained by KOAA News 5 says Emily suffered multiple hemorrhages and the injuries are consistent with those that "occurred at the hands of another individual(s)".
On June 28, Crimes Against Children Detectives were granted arrest warrants for Escamilla and Urias.
Urias was taken into custody without incident on June 29 and Escamilla was taken into custody without incident on July 5 in Littleton, Colorado.
Urias has a previous criminal record, including harassment and driving under the influence.
Emily's death is the 26th homicide investigation in the city of Colorado Springs in 2022. At this time last year, there were 21 homicide investigations in the city.
Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-7867 or 1-800-222-8477.
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