The parents of a 3-year-old girl whose body was found last weekend at a San Jose recycling facility had been locked in a yearslong custody dispute.
The prime suspect in Ellie Obi Lorenzo's death, her father Jared Lorenzo, appears to have died by suicide shortly after her death.
Ellie spent time living with her mother Chrystal Obi in Mountain View and her father in Fremont, according to court records.
Ellie was about to move to Texas with her mom, having received the court's approval during divorce proceedings earlier this year.
Chrystal, a pediatric radiologist at Stanford, had full physical custody of Ellie. Jared had recently completed his MBA at Berkeley and was allowed by the court to schedule visits with his daughter.
Last July, court filings from Chrystal alleged her ex-husband exhibited "increasingly erratic," "disturbing," and at times "angry" behavior. She stated in the documents that she had serious concerns about Ellie's safety and well-being while in his care. She described multiple incidents when Jared allegedly delayed returning Ellie to her, violating his custody orders.
Jared's court statements refer to his wife as having an "extravagant lifestyle," in some years making upwards of $400,000. He also described fond afternoons taking care of Ellie in the East Bay, taking her to toddler yoga, dance classes, the park and museums, stating that Ellie was "thriving" under his care.
Chrystal is among those who now believe Jared murdered Ellie before taking his own life.
San Jose police declined to comment Wednesday, but they continue to investigate.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
