Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist charged Salvador Sanchez-Orozco, 26, with murder in the first degree for squeezing his 2-year-old daughter to death at his Tacoma apartment. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today in room 270 of the County-City Building in Tacoma.

“The defendant murdered a child he’s supposed to protect,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “This is domestic violence at its worst, killing a child to punish the mother.

On Jan. 11, the defendant and his wife argued in their apartment, eventually agreeing to separate. He became distraught and attempted to hang himself with a dog leash. His wife called 911 and deputies responded. He was involuntarily committed, but was released the following day. The defendant’s wife and their daughter moved to her parents’ home in Graham. Over the next month, the defendant periodically cared for his daughter during the day while his wife was at work.

On Feb. 11, the defendant drove to the home in Graham. A male friend of the wife was at the home, and this upset the defendant. The next morning, the defendant showed up unexpectedly at the home. His wife gave permission for the defendant to take his daughter and spend the day with her. The defendant took his daughter to his apartment. He sat down with her on his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed until she stopped breathing. Then, he called 911 and told the operator that he killed his daughter. The defendant again wrapped a dog leash around his neck and tightened it, but again failed to kill himself.

When deputies arrived, the defendant had the leash around his neck and the victim was dead. Deputies cut the leash from the defendant’s neck and arrested him. The defendant left a suicide note that said he was going to kill himself and “take my daughter with me.”

Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.