The Region - News from June 13, 1985

A 3-year-old Long Beach girl underwent plastic surgery after her father allegedly tore her face with locking pliers. Long Beach police said Miguel Palacios, 30, had apparently come from Tijuana seeking a reconciliation with his wife. He and the wife, Maria, reportedly fought as she tried to wrest her daughter from him. Police said the wife screamed for help and ran through the apartment complex banging on doors, but no neighbor went to her aid. When police arrived, Palacios allegedly had the pliers clamped on the girl’s lower lip. When he saw the officers, said Lt. Norm Benson, “he yanked the skin up.” Palacios was treated at County-USC Medical Center for injuries received when the mother and police struggled with him. He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, mayhem and wife beating.