Calif. mother, boyfriend found guilty in torture and death of 10-year-old boy
03/08/2023 11:58 am PST
LANCASTER, Calif. (TCD) -- A 33-year-old mother and her 37-year-old boyfriend were recently convicted of beating, torturing, and killing a 10-year-old boy.
According to a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, on June 20, 2018, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a home on East Avenue K, where they found the victim, Anthony Avalos. He was reportedly transported to a hospital and died the next day.
The District Attorney’s Office said Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva "tortured the boy every day for two weeks leading up to his death."
The couple would force the child to go without food and water, regularly beat him, and make him kneel on rice while on a concrete floor for hours, KABC-TV reports. Testimony revealed they also sprayed hot sauce in the child’s face, whipped him, and placed a sock in his mouth if he cried or moaned.
According to KABC, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami argued the boy died of starvation, dehydration, blunt force trauma, chronic child abuse, torture, and a lack of medical treatment.
Leiva reportedly abused the boy to the point of unconsciousness days before his death.
The District Attorney’s Office said Barron and Leiva also assaulted two of the victim’s half-siblings.
Prosecutors called Barron and Leiva "evil" and "monsters."
KABC reports that the judge said, "The defendant Barron waited to call 911 until Anthony was literally deceased on the afternoon of June 20, 2018," and, "This flagrant lack of care for Anthony’s life all point to intent to kill by both defendant Barron and defendant Leiva."
District Attorney George Gascón announced Barron and Leiva were convicted of first-degree murder, torture, and two counts of child abuse. They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 25 and face up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In a statement obtained by KABC, after the guilty verdict, Anthony’s aunt said, "This pain in our heart, because nobody will ever take the pain away of losing Anthony."
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