Mom Dies Defending 10-Year-Old Daughter From Convicted Child Pornographer

A mom, who died defending her 10-year-old daughter against a convicted child pornographer in March, will now receive justice.

David Renz, a 29-year-old upstate New York man, accosted the woman and her daughter, who were coming out of a gymnastics class at a mall in the Syracuse, New York suburb of Clay on March 14, The Huffington Post reported late last week.

Renz, who pleaded guilty to the crime, cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet prior to initiating the attack. He reportedly stabbed and strangled the mother to death as she tried to stop him from raping the 10-year-old.

Renz was supposed to be under federal monitoring for a child pornography charge. His escape from the bracelet prompted a federal judge to rebuke probation officers for failing in their job, HuffPo noted.

As part of the plea bargain, Renz will likely be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, but, should the federal government wish to pursue the death penalty, that deal can be withdrawn.

According to police, Renz attacked the woman, a school librarian, and her daughter shortly after they left the gymnastics class.

He reportedly held an air pistol on the mom, who died defending her daughter, and coerced her to drive her car to a remote spot in the mall parking lot. There, he bound both victims and raped the girl, police said.

Following the assault, Renz tried using cable ties to bind the mom to a headrest. That’s when the woman fought back and screamed for her daughter to flee the vehicle.

As the 10-year-old ran away and was rescued by a passing motorist, Renz proceeded to strangle and repeatedly stab the woman in the head and chest, police said. He was captured shortly following the incident.

According to KHOU.com, Renz took off the bracelet and quickly reassembled it before monitors could realize he’d removed it. Renz had been sentenced to the electronic monitoring in January after being picked up on child pornography charges.

The website added that weeks after the attack, a federal judge’s report revealed officers had failed to follow through on required monthly checks of Renz and the tracking bracelet. The officers have since been “fired or demoted,” the KHOU.com report stated.

A bit more on the case here:

Unfortunately, the story of child predators walking free to commit crimes is all too common. In May, The Inquisitr told you about a child predator, who filmed himself raping a girl between the ages of seven and nine, federal authorities said.

Also in May, we brought you the story of a home invasion in which two grandparents were beaten to death and their two-year-old granddaughter was raped before the parents arrived home and found the naked assailant still with the child.

In that case, police arrested Jerry Andrew Active for the crimes.

In the case of the mom, who died defending her 10-year-old daughter, do you think the federal government should pursue death penalty charges? And do you believe child predators can be rehabilitated?

[Image via ShutterStock]