An 11-year-old girl’s refusal to go home has unraveled what authorities describe as a prolonged and deeply disturbing case of abuse at the hands of the very people entrusted with her care.

Prosecutors say Priscilla Mestaz, 37, and her partner, Anthony Machuca, 36, subjected the child — identified as Mestaz’s niece — to more than a year of escalating violence and neglect inside their Salida, California home. The couple now faces 27 felony and misdemeanor charges, including torture, child endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon, and criminal threats.

The case came to light on January 31, when deputies responded to reports of a young girl refusing to return home, claiming she had been abused. What investigators uncovered next, they say, was corroborated not only by the child’s account — but by the couple’s own security cameras.

According to a criminal complaint, the girl was allegedly strangled, punched, and slapped, deprived of adequate food, and forced into extreme physical exertion under threat of further harm. Authorities also allege she was made to sleep in an uninsulated garage without bedding or heat during winter months, and at times restrained or dragged using a dog leash.

Investigators believe the child was primarily confined to the garage and backyard — areas not fit for habitation, lacking insulation, heating, or basic living conditions.

Machuca was arrested shortly after the initial investigation. Mestaz, who was heavily pregnant at the time, was taken into custody weeks later following the birth of her child. That newborn, along with another young child in the home, has since been placed into protective custody.

In a troubling detail, authorities say Mestaz worked as a child and family services case manager — a role meant to protect vulnerable children.

Officials say the investigation remains ongoing as they review extensive digital evidence and determine whether additional charges may follow.