Hillsborough Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty for Guatemalan Man Accused of Brutal Killings

The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty for Angel Gabriel Cuz Choc, a Guatemalan man accused of brutally killing his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter in east Hillsborough County last month. The horrific stabbings of Amalia Coc-Choc de Pec and Estrella Anastasia Pec Coc have shocked the community and raised concerns about the suspect’s violent past.

According to court documents, Cuz Choc faces two counts of first-degree murder and other charges related to the killings. The state has cited aggravating circumstances, including the fact that one of the victims was a child and that the murders were deemed “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,” as reasons for seeking the death penalty.

The investigation into the murders began with a 911 call reporting the discovery of the victims in a shed beside a home in Dover. Deputies found Amalia Coc-Choc de Pec with severe cuts to her neck, face, and body, while her daughter was found stabbed in a bathtub. Surveillance video from a neighboring home captured the woman screaming as a man chased her outside before the killings took place.

Cuz Choc’s two brothers provided key information to investigators, with one brother claiming that Cuz Choc confessed to the killings shortly after they occurred. The suspect was eventually found hiding in thick vegetation near the crime scene after a 17-hour manhunt led by sheriff’s deputies.

The court documents also highlight Cuz Choc’s illegal entry into the country and his relationship with the victims. He allegedly met Amalia Coc-Choc de Pec through Facebook while they were living in New Jersey, and they moved to Florida together after he found work as a day laborer.

The Hillsborough Public Defender’s Office, representing Cuz Choc, did not contest the state’s request to keep him jailed without bail pending trial. This case is one of at least 13 pending death penalty prosecutions in Hillsborough County, reflecting an increase in capital punishment cases since Suzy Lopez took office as State Attorney in August 2022.