An Illinois father has been convicted of beating his teenage daughter to death following an argument the two had regarding her prom in 2022.
Mohammed Almaru, 42, of Tinley Park was found guilty of first degree murder on Friday, Aug. 16, for his role in the death of his daughter, 17-year-old Mia Maro, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 19.
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Jurors deliberated for less than an hour, Patch reported on Monday.
Maro was a senior at Andrew High School when her father beat her inside their home on May 1, 2022, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Court documents previously shared by FOX 32 Chicago in May stated that Almaru initially gave his daughter permission to attend her senior prom on April 29, 2022, but later changed his mind, stating that he “did not trust her.”
Prosecutors said one of Almaru’s sisters found her niece covered in a blanket in the home in the 7800 block of 167th Street on the afternoon of May 1, reports the Chicago Tribune.
At the time, Almaru was sitting on the floor beside the teen with an arm draped over his daughter’s body.
Court documents said Maro was “covered in numerous bruises” with injuries to her head, arms, legs and feet. She suffered “extensive hemorrhaging and bleeding” to her brain, and based on evidence, it seemed that her father used “multiple objects” to inflict the wounds, the documents added, per the outlet.
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At the time, police officers found him inside his home, next to his slain daughter, “with self-inflicted wounds to his wrist and throat,” according to a May 4, 2022 statement from police.
Neighbors recalled seeing the father taken away on a stretcher as other distraught relatives arrived at the home at the time, reports ABC 7 Chicago. The neighbors described the scene as chaotic, saying there was a lot of yelling.
The police statement also alleged that “Almaru had ingested pills and was taken to Christ Hospital, where he was stabilized.”
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Court documents also allege that Almaru sent an apologetic text to one of his sons the Sunday after Maro’s death, explaining that he “lost my mind” and “went out of control.”
Per ABC 7 Chicago, prosecutors said Maro and her father arguing about her prom allegedly had to do with her crashing her father’s car the week before her death.
Court documents revealed that Almaru’s wife and Maro’s mother had suffered a medical emergency in 2019 that left her non-verbal and requiring around-the-clock care, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Maro’s loved ones said the teen had dreams of being a dental hygienist.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office tells PEOPLE Almaru’s next court date is set for Sept. 7 for post-trial motions.
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.
