BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Scripps News Bakersfield) — More than two weeks after 8-year-old Genesis Mata was found dead and abandoned in a Bakersfield hotel, her stepmother, Graciela Bustamante, is claiming she was not involved in the child’s death or abuse. However, police reports show statements that contradict her.
Graciela Bustamante is charged in the death of 8-year-old Genesis Mata. (Scripps News Bakersfield)
Ray Mata and Bustamante have been charged with murder, torture and child abuse in connection with the girl’s death.
In an exclusive interview with Scripps News Bakersfield, Bustamante claimed she never harmed the children in the couple’s care. She claimed she only took the blame because Mata told her to. “I regret even accepting stuff that he’s told me to take,” she said. But police reports say Mata told investigators Bustamante had hit the children with cords or hangers.
The reports also cite Bustamante’s mother, who allegedly told police her daughter admitted to watching Mata punch Genesis until the girl was unconscious. Other conflicting accounts surfaced about the child’s hand injuries: Bustamante said Mata accidentally stepped on the girl’s finger, while police say Mata reported that Bustamante slammed a drawer on her hand. When pressed, investigators wrote that Bustamante later admitted to slamming a door on the child’s hand and acknowledged participating in pouring boiling water on her.
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Exterior of a motel where an 8-year-old was found dead in a bathtub. (Scripps News Bakersfield)
Bustamante also denied any contact with Child Protective Services. But police say school officials had filed a report over bruising on one of the children, and Mata’s relatives said they previously raised concerns with authorities.
Bustamante has faced violence while in custody. On Aug. 8, officials confirmed she was assaulted in jail. The accused attacker, Anita Doron, said she lashed out after learning the case details, noting she has a young cousin also named Genesis. Doron’s commissary account has since received donations, though it is unclear if the contributions are tied to the assault.
The case has also sparked broader community concerns. During Tuesday’s Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, advocates are expected to present a petition calling for accountability in child welfare oversight. Supervisors are anticipated to authorize an external investigation into the Department of Human Services, which will hire an independent vendor to review the agency’s practices.
Mata and Bustamante are due back in court in October.
This story was originally written by Veronica Morley for Scripps News Bakersfield, an E.W. Scripps Company.
