An investigation into a claim of child abuse led to more discoveries than police could have ever imagined.
It all began on January 20, 2020, when police received a call from an 11-year-old girl. She told officers she was hungry and had been home alone for two days while her foster mother, Maribel Loera, traveled to Minnesota with her younger siblings, a 9-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl.
What officers saw when they arrived at the home caused them to remove the 11-year-old. Days later, they returned for the other two children. Despite handing over the kids, neither Maribel nor her husband, Rafael Loera, would cooperate with authorities, who were now investigating them for child abuse.
Things took a turn for the bizarre when a fire broke out at the home shortly after authorities left with the kids. When firefighters went in to get in under control, they discovered human remains.
The Phoenix Police Department slowly learned just what a couple who was fostering and adopting children was capable of after one of their children reached out for help. In January 2020, officers received a call from an 11-year-old girl, who told responders she had been home alone and hungry for two days.
The girl told police that her foster mother, Maribel Loera, was in Minnesota with her two younger siblings, a 9-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. Officers inspected the home and found chaos, with feces smeared into the floors. The Arizona Department of Child Safety was called to take custody of the 11-year-old.
DCS launched an investigation into Maribel and her husband, Rafael Loera. When authorities visited the home a week later, Rafael signed over the two other children. Maribel would not cooperate with authorities.
Meanwhile, the 11-year-old shared her story with investigators. She said Maribel would strike her with knotted extension cords. She also told them that she had an older sister who had disappeared years prior. Maribel had told the girl her sister was adopted and sent to Colombia, but Rafael had told her she had gone to Mexico.
Investigators determined that the missing girl was Ana Loera, born Charisma Marquez in January 2007. They barely got a chance to wrap their heads around the revelation, however, because a fire was reported at the Loera home shortly after DCS left with the younger kids. The Loeras claimed they lit a fireplace fire that got out of control.
Firefighters found a large hole in the ground. They attempted to ventilate the home by pulling down parts of the drywall and ventilation.
"As they did so, they immediately stopped and observed what they perceived to be human bones which came from the ceiling, resting on top of the attic insulation," police paperwork obtained by ABC 15 notes. Fire officials immediately contacted the Phoenix Police.
Rafael and Maribel were arrested in February 2020 and have been in custody since. Rafael admitted to starting the fire with gas siphoned from his vehicle. He also told authorities that he was aware of Maribel's abuse of the children. He tried to protect them, but she also abused him. He says he worked two jobs to try to improve their conditions, but that left the 11-year-old home alone for much of the day.
Initially, Rafael stuck to his story about the fourth child, Ana, leaving for Mexico when she was last seen in 2016. He claimed she didn't want to maintain contact with the family. He eventually changed his story and alleged that Ana had gotten sick in July 2017. He said they waited too long to get her medical attention, and when they finally did, she died en route to the hospital.
The couple was aware Ana's remains would show indications of abuse. They feared they would lose the other children. That's why they say they decided on keeping Ana's body in the attic. Rafael removed some bones from the attic and put them in the backyard before setting the fire.
Maribel and Rafael were charged with first-degree murder, several counts of child abuse, concealment of a dead body, and arson of an occupied structure. It's just the beginning of justice for these children, but many in the larger community questioned how things were allowed to go this far by the various agencies who should have monitored the children.
