KEY POINTS

  • The deceased girl's sibling told cops that she died in the basement of their Evansville home
  • While the exact date of death was not determined, the girl was last seen in November 2021
  • The couple was charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence

The remains of a 9-year-old girl, who died of "convulsions" after being locked in a basement, were found in a storage locker by the Kentucky police.

After making the horrifying discovery Tuesday, cops arrested the child's father, Jose Gomez-Alvarez, and his girlfriend, Cheyanne Porter on charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence, news outlet Law & Crime reported.

The remains of the deceased child, identified as Alianna Maya Gomez-Alvarez, were kept inside a tote bag found in the storage container, which was rented by Porter.

The investigation began after the cops responded to a report of a possible missing child from a couple's house in Daviess County.

"The caller stated that Jose Gomez-Alvarez and Cheyanne Porter care for several children. However, one particular female child hadn't been with them for some time," the police said.

The cops determined that the couple was transient and had been living in hotel rooms in multiple states along with the children.

When talking to the police, one of the girl's siblings revealed that Alianna had died in their Evansville home and told them about the storage units, 14News reported.

The investigators obtained a warrant to search the storage unit on Oct. 4 and discovered the human remains.

According to the arrest affidavit, Alianna died of convulsions after being locked in the basement for an extended time. Her siblings also complained that they were neglected.

While the exact date of the girl's death is unclear, reports state that she was not seen since November 2021.

When asked about Alianna's death, Jose said he did not report it to the cops as he feared getting into trouble.

The couple was scheduled to appear in front of a judge for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 12. After a video appearance in court Wednesday, they were ordered to be held on $100,000 bonds, 14 News reported.

Meanwhile, Alianna's aunt Tina McStoots said she was hurt by the tragic discovery. "Hurt, really hurt. No words can describe the pain, I'm telling you... I can't," McStoots told 14 News.

Representational image (police car)
Representational image (Source: Pixabay / diegoparra)