A 29-year-old New Mexico man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2019 beating death of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, federal officials announced Monday.
Malcolm Torres was sentenced on Monday, October 30, to 35 years in prison for the brutal beating of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Renezmae Calzada. Torres pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on April 10, 2023, four years after Calzada’s death.
Calzada was reported missing in September 2019 from Española.
Calzada’s disappearance prompted an Amber Alert on September 8, 2019. It led investigators on a statewide search after Torres told the young girl’s grandmother she was missing when they returned home in September 2019. According to police, Calzada’s mother, Victoria Maestas, alerted authorities when she received the news of her daughter’s disappearance from the girl’s grandmother.
Calzada’s body was found in the Rio Grande at Santa Clara Pueblo three days after her disappearance. In September 2019, Torres admitted to authorities he was caring for his stepdaughter, Calzada, and 18-month-old son while at home. Torres claimed he was intoxicated while both children were in his care. However, he stated in his plea agreement, that he could not remember what occurred the night of his stepdaughter’s death.
Investigators determined Calzada suffered a broken wrist, blunt force trauma to her head, torso and other severe bruises while in Torres’ care. According to authorities, Torres eventually admitted he inflicted the injuries in connection to Renezmae’s death but was too intoxicated to remember how he injured Calzada.
Torres will be under supervised release, after serving his 35-year sentence.
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