In a deeply disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community, a man from Florida is facing charges for allegedly engaging in a heartless campaign to push his own teenage daughter toward taking her own life. The details surrounding this tragic incident, as revealed in court records, paint a distressing picture.
According to an arrest affidavit, Gared Wayne Canales, 33 years old, is accused of subjecting his 13-year-old daughter to a relentless barrage of verbal abuse during a conversation that took place in April. The affidavit states that he directed derogatory slurs at his daughter, using offensive language and urging her to “go kill yourself.”
This appalling exchange occurred on April 7 when the young teenager called her father while her friends were present in her room, listening to the conversation on speakerphone. Canales allegedly unleashed a torrent of profanity and insults, referring to his daughter in derogatory terms, and callously expressing his preference for his girlfriend over his own daughter. He heartlessly encouraged her to end her own life, stating, “You kill yourself, just don’t say it.”
The relentless verbal assault pushed the distraught child to the edge. In a desperate and angry act, she took her brother’s baseball bat and smashed a photograph of herself and her father, according to the affidavit.
Tragically, prior to this distressing incident, the young girl had confided in her father through text messages, revealing her deeply troubling thoughts of self-harm. Instead of providing support, her cries for help were met with further cruelty and emotional abuse.
The court document reveals that the abuse inflicted upon the teenager culminated in a horrifying act of self-harm. On April 9, overwhelmed by the relentless torment, she resorted to cutting her wrist with a knife and a shard of glass, followed by ingesting 14 Benadryl pills. Her mother, upon discovering her daughter’s actions, acted swiftly and rushed her to Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, where medical professionals were able to save her life by promptly treating her.
As a result of the investigation into this disturbing case, an arrest warrant was issued for Gared Wayne Canales on April 14. The accused, who had fled to Massachusetts, was subsequently apprehended and extradited to Florida.
Canales is currently held without bond in the Flagler County Jail, facing charges of felony child abuse and misdemeanor violation of probation. In order to ensure the safety and well-being of the young girl, a restraining order has been issued to prevent any contact between Canales and his daughter.
The public defender’s office, responsible for representing Canales, has not yet responded to requests for comment on this deeply troubling case.
It is worth noting that Gared Canales’ cousin, Jonathan Canales, is already serving a life sentence after attempting to murder his girlfriend and the mother of his child in 2014, as previously reported by Flaglerlive.
This distressing episode serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of emotional abuse and the urgent need for society to prioritize the protection and well-being of vulnerable individuals, particularly children, who face such cruel treatment.
