Mother, boyfriend arrested in girl's death

The death of a 3-year-old girl in Magna has led to the arrest of the girl's mother and her live-in boyfriend of one month.

Salvador Lee Sanchez, 24, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Thursday night for investigation of child abuse homicide. His girlfriend, Veronica Samaniego, 26, was booked into jail for investigation of meth and marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Investigators from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office worked nearly 24 hours straight from the time the death was reported Wednesday night until the arrests.

Samaniego took her 3-year-old daughter to Pioneer Valley Hospital about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak. The girl was unresponsive when she arrived. The mother told doctors her daughter had slipped and fallen in the bathtub, Jaroscak said.

Doctors "immediately recognized the child was in grave condition" and flew her to Primary Children's Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about 3 a.m. Thursday, he said. Doctors said the girl's injuries were not consistent with a fall and that she appeared to also have older injuries that were healing, Jaroscak said.

Samaniego and Sanchez were interviewed by detectives and a search warrant served on the mother's house Thursday near 2650 South and 8100 West. Based on the interviews and other undisclosed evidence collected at the house, both were arrested Thursday night.

Jaroscak said investigators believe the child was injured at Samaniego's home but were not saying Thursday exactly what they believe happened.

"Based on interviews, we believe the injuries occurred at that residence at the hands of Salvador," he said.

Samaniego gave inconsistent statements to both doctors and sheriff's detectives, Jaroscak said, raising their suspicions.

The young girl also had a 5-year-old sibling who was taken into protective custody by the Division of Child and Family Services.

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