A man charged in the death of his 10-year-old daughter was found dead in his prison cell early Sunday morning at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.
Police said they saw Domingo Ferreira lying on his bunk with torn sheeting tied to the upper bunk at about 3:10 a.m. Sunday. He was given CPR, and medical staff from the facility also tried to revive him, but it was too late. He had been locked up in protective custody alone for 36 hours.
Ferreira, 53, had been charged with murder in the death of his daughter Charleeni, who died this past Wednesday. Her lungs collapsed from an infection related to broken ribs that were left untreated, according to investigators.
Domingo Ferreira and his wife, Margarita Garabito, who was Charleeni's stepmother, were charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a child Friday, after an autopsy revealed injuries that indicated years of physical and sexual abuse.
Charleeni Ferreira had severe head trauma, bruises, several broken bones and possible sexual abuse, according to medical examiners.
Just weeks before the Feltonville girl died she told her best friend, Cheyenne Roundtree, about the painful secrets she was allegedly forced to hide.
“She would tell me her mom pushed her down the stairs, that her mom beat her and broke her bones,” said Roundtree.
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Homicide Capt. James Clark called it one of the worst cases of child abuse he has ever seen, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
According to police, Ferreira was referred to the prison’s mental health services for evaluation and was not judged to be suicidal. He was put in a single cell because of the notoriety of his case.
Margarita Garabito, 43, is currently in custody at Riverside Correctional Facility. She has been told about her husband's death and is being watched, police said.
Charleeni would have turned 11 years old on Friday.
