Two weeks after Albuquerque Police were called to perform a welfare check, officers found the body of a missing infant. Now, her parents are charged in connection with her death.

Though David Zuber and Monique Romero are accused of child abuse resulting in the death of one-year-old Anastazia, many questions remain unanswered in what led up to her final days.

A joy to be around, constantly smiling and showing off her bright blue eyes — that’s how family members of Anastazia Zuber describe her, but her light was dimmed. Albuquerque police found the one-year-old dead Friday morning.
 
“It’s tough for detectives to go out to a location, dig a hole, find a dead baby in a bag and then have to build a case around that. This is horrible. So I’d ask the public to think about that child,” said APD Officer Simon Drobik.
 
This case started weeks ago. According to court documents, on Dec. 18, David Zuber disclosed to a family member that he drowned the one-year-old at an apartment in the Heights. 

The family member told police, prompting a welfare check by officers that same day. It’s unclear what happened during that welfare check, but 15 days later, APD issued a missing persons bulletin for Anastazia.

“So that’s under internal affairs investigation and that’s were looking into that,” Officer Drobik said.
  
What is clear is that police found the baby’s body and have now charged 26-year-old Zuber and 23-year-old Romero with child abuse resulting in death.
 
When asked about the allegations, Romero responded, “Can you guys please get out of my face?”
 
She didn’t have much to say, however, in the criminal complaint she not only admitted the girl died after she was left unattended in a bathtub, but that Zuber said it was “taken care of.”

In court Saturday morning, she learned the state wants to keep her locked up until trial.

“Miss Romero, you will be held in custody until a district court judge can rule on the state’s motion,” the judge read in court.
 
Zuber has yet to appear in court. The couple’s two other children have been placed in CYFD custody.

The family of Anastazia tells KRQE News 13 they are devastated. They have created an online fundraiser for funeral expenses.

APD says it’s opened an internal investigation into this incident to see if new child abuse case policies and procedures were followed.

An autopsy will determine the child’s exact cause of death.

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