An Illinois father will spend decades behind bars for killing his teenage daughter after an argument over the girl attending her high school prom, according to multiple news reports.
Mohammed Almaru, 44, was sentenced on Oct. 7 to 55 years in prison for the May 2022 beating death of his 17-year-old daughter, Mia Maro, authorities said, according to Fox 32, WGN-TV and CBS News. He was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the case in August, all three outlets reported.
On the night of May 1, 2022, Maro was found dead in the family’s Tinley Park, Ill., home, according to court documents obtained by CBS News. Police who responded to the scene reported that Almaru had self-inflicted wounds and had taken pills in an apparent suicide attempt.
An autopsy revealed the 17-year-old had suffered extensive bruising to her arms, legs, skull, and face, according to court documents cited by WGN-TV. It further revealed that Maro had extensive brain hemorrhaging and bleeding. The outlet reports, citing court documents, that Almaru hit his daughter in the head multiple times with a metal pole and rubber mallet, both of which were found with the girl’s blood at the scene.
Prosecutors said Almaru brutally beat his teenage daughter after the two had an argument over whether the high school senior would attend her prom, according to court documents also cited by Fox 32. The documents state Almaru changed his mind after initially saying she could go, claiming he “did not trust her,” per the outlet.
Court documents cited by WGN-TV state that after going through the teen’s phone, Almaru believed Maro was keeping things from him and that he needed to “beat the information out of her.”
In the days prior to her death, Maro contacted a relative saying she was scared her father might “beat” or “kill” her, Fox 32 reported, citing court documents.
Authorities said in court documents that Almaru confessed to the killing on the day it happened, telling one of his sons through text, “I lost my mind, went out of control and beat her… I f***ed up big time I’m sorry,” according to Fox 32.
However, Almaru claimed his daughter’s death was accidental, per court records cited by WGN-TV. Maro was just weeks away from graduating from Victor Andrew High School, the outlet reported.
According to court records cited by Fox 32, the teen had also been providing around the clock care for her mother, who suffered a medical emergency in 2019.
On a GoFundMe campaign created in the wake of her death, loved ones described Maro as a “beautiful soul” and a girl who had “a thirst for life.”
“Mia was an amazing daughter, niece, sister, granddaughter and the best friend anyone could encounter,” the fundraiser’s description reads. “Mia’s mother was incapacitated 3 years ago forcing her to grow up too quick.”
“She stepped in at the age of 15 and quickly became a primary part in her mother’s care,” it continued. “Mia did so with love and patience. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Mia absolutely adored her.”
PEOPLE reached out to the Cook County State Attorney’s Office for comment on the case but did not hear back in time for publication.
