A California father and his partner have been charged with murdering his 8-year-old daughter after police found her body in a hotel bathtub in Bakersfield on Saturday, August 2. Ray Mata Jr. and Graciela Bustamonte face charges of first-degree murder, willful cruelty to a child, and torture in connection with the death of 8-year-old Genesis Ariah Mata.
Police say the child was subjected to severe abuse before her death. According to People, Genesis was burned with scalding hot water, beaten, and whipped. The couple also allegedly slammed the girl’s fingers in a door frame repeatedly, crushing her hand and causing her fingernails to separate.
The father is accused of working with his partner to torture his young daughter before her death. Genesis’s mutilated body was discovered in a hotel bathtub, showing clear signs of prolonged abuse. This horrific case has shocked the local community and raised serious questions about how the system failed to protect a vulnerable child, similar to failures seen in high-profile child torture cases like the Turpin family.
Family members blame child protective services for failing to act
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, court documents reveal that each suspect blamed the other for Genesis’s death while also admitting to police that they both took part in the abuse. Unlike cold cases that remain unsolved for decades, this case moved swiftly through the legal system with clear evidence against both defendants. The contradictory statements suggest a pattern of shared responsibility in the child’s suffering.
Bustamonte allegedly told investigators that Genesis died on Friday night, a full day before anyone called 911. She claimed to have witnessed Mata punching and suffocating the 8-year-old, saying he had been beating his children for years. According to the documents, Bustamonte admitted that pouring scalding hot water on Genesis was her idea to make the child “listen” better.
(O. M. G. ! ! !
— Georgeanne Matranga) Girl, 8, Was Found Dead in Bathtub with Crushed Hand and Blisters from Scalding Water — and CPS Had Gotten Warnings: https://t.co/uWCnaiEIda pic.twitter.com/bcHpPbjIR7
(@DTPORGE) August 8, 2025
The case has raised serious questions about California’s Child Protective Services system. Mata had an active CPS case at the time of his daughter’s death. Genesis’s cousin, Sabrina Guerrero, told reporters outside the courthouse that CPS had been contacted “at least 20” times about Mata’s alleged abuse. “It’s a sad situation, and CPS needs to be held accountable for everything,” Guerrero said.
Family members are now left to mourn a young life cut short. Genesis’s cousin Sophia Hernandez set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs, describing the 8-year-old as having a “beautiful spirit” who was “full of life” and “loved anything that sparkled.” Hernandez wrote that Genesis’s “life was stolen far too soon,” reflecting the family’s grief over losing a child who should have been protected by the adults in her life.
