Death penalty sought for Dover man who murdered girlfriend and her daughter: SAO
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty in the case of a man accused of murdering his girlfriend and her daughter in Dover.
State Attorney Suzy Lopez announced Angel Gabriel Cuz Choc, a Guatemala national who was working as a day laborer in Dover, will face the death penalty for his “heinous, cruel, and atrocious” crimes.
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“This is one of the most horrific crime scenes I have ever seen,” said Lopez.
Cuz Choc was accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Amalia Coc Choc De Pec, and her 4-year-old daughter on April 25. The child was found dead in a bathtub.
Deputies spent hours searching for Angel Gabriel Cuz Choc and located him less than three miles away from the murder scene, hiding in thick brush. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said Cuz Choc has admitted to the crime.
Lopez says he had a violent temper and when a friend picked up Amalia and her daughter, he became enraged that she wouldn’t pick up the phone when he repeatedly tried to call her. Lopez said he then ran into Amalia and her daughter at a nearby grocery store.
“Surveillance video captures little Juana Estrella playing outside of the grocery store, enjoying a lollypop, she’s dancing and twirling, doing things that little four year old girls do. Watching that surveillance video is truly haunting because we know that she will be brutally murdered just a half hour later,” Lopez said.
According to the state attorney, he then took the two to their home, where he brutally murdered them.
Lopez said Cuz Choc was also wanted for murdering two women in his home country, according to U.S. Border Patrol. He was accused of entering the country illegally with the help of a “coyote,” a term for people who are paid to smuggle migrants across the border between Mexico and the U.S.
“I can’t imagine the terror both victims went through as they were brutally attacked by this defendant. A mother and her 4-year-old daughter were savagely stabbed to death. This crime was especially heinous, cruel, and atrocious. As a result of the violent nature of the defendant’s actions and the suffering of the victims, we are seeking the death penalty for both murders. This tragedy is made even worse by the fact that the defendant was in our community illegally.”
Statement from Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez
The couple met on Facebook and Cuz Choc told investigators, that Amalia and her daughter resided in New Jersey. He said they came down to Hillsborough County to live with him.
After reviewing the facts of the case and speaking with family members of the victims, the state attorney decided to pursue the death penalty.
Cuz Choc is being held in jail without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for May 20.
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