Calif. Mom Suspected of Strangling 4-Year-Old Daughter to Death After Girl Found Slain in Car

Mia González was found unresponsive in a car in East L.A. and was pronounced dead at the hospital

A California mother was arrested after her 4-year-old daughter was found strangled to death, according to reports.

KTLA, KABC and the Los Angeles Times reported that the woman had been arrested on suspicion of murder after the young girl was found unresponsive in a car in East Los Angeles on Thursday night, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The woman was identified as Maria Avalos, 38, in the reports from KTLA and KABC. It is not immediately clear if she has been officially charged, but jail records indicate that Avalos is currently in custody.

The sheriff's department did not immediately respond to a request for information from PEOPLE.

The 4-year-old was identified as Mia González by KABC, which spoke to her family.

"Mia was a really good kid," her godmother Noemí López told the station. "She was the light of my home. She didn't deserve this."

Authorities found Mia unresponsive after a report of a child being assaulted, the outlets reported, citing police. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists Mia's manner of death as a homicide, caused by strangulation and sharp force injury of the wrist.

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The family told KABC that the investigators said Avalos could have been driving around with Mia's body for days before she was found.

Mia’s family started a GoFundMe for funeral expenses, which has raised over $1,000.

“With a pain in our hearts we are asking for help with the death of our little Mia González,” the organizer wrote. “Her dad Jose González along with the rest of the González family and her godmother Noemí López thank you for any donation for her funeral. God bless you and multiply your generosity."

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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