Calif. Instead, his mother and her ex-boyfriend are standing trial, accused in the torture and murder of the 10-year . "He would be kind of scared to tell us," Palma testified. Anthony had suffered significant abuse and trauma before his death which included being slammed onto the floor, whipped with a belt and vacuum cord. They remain jailed without bail. Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta is hearing the case of Heather Maxine Barron, 33, and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 37, as a result of a decision by both sides to waive their right to a jury trial. His body showed that he had suffered unimaginable torture, abuse, and neglect in the weeks running up to his death. In October 2018, a grand jury indicted Anthonys mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, on charges that they murdered the boy and abused two other children in the household. Lying is not an intent to kill, Sperber said of Barron's initial statements to investigators. In one of the alerts to the child welfare agency, the assistant principal at Anthonys elementary school called to say Anthony told her he was being forced to dig through trash to find food, and that his mom was beating him, according to the grand jury transcripts. His death was the result of repeated beatings at the hands of his mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, prosecutors alleged during closing arguments at the couples murder trial in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. 'Nothing short of monsters': Prosecutors sum up torture allegations in Anthony Avalos' death. A man was robbed and assaulted when a group armed with an AR-15 rifle burst into his motel room in Anthony, Texas, over the weekend, authorities said. CHILLING new details have emerged into the horror death of Anthony Avalos, who authorities claim was killed and tortured by his mom and her boyfriend. During his opening statement, Deputy District Attorney Saeed Teymouri told the judge that Barron and Leiva tortured and abused Anthony for two weeks before his death, while an attorney for Leiva countered that his client should be acquitted of murder. The cause of death has not yet been released. But DCFS and grand jury records and interviews show striking similarities in the two deaths that occurred within a 15-minute drive in the Antelope Valley. It claimed the county and multiple social workers failed to properly respond to reports of abuse against Anthony and his half-siblings. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The lawsuit contended that multiple social workers failed to properly respond to reports of abuse of Anthony and his siblings. Chambers told the judge that many of the statements by the children are inconsistent, saying that their initial statements showed a lack of any actions on behalf of Mr. Leiva with respect to the treatment of Anthony and that Mr. But prosecutors say what her son endured was far worse: years of abuse until the very end of his life. The innocent 10-year-old died in 2018 after allegedly being brutally beaten and tortured by his mum Heather Barron, 28, and her sicko partner Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 32, who have both pleaded not . The murder count includes the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. The judge heard from dozens of witnesses over the course of this trial, including Anthony's half siblings and Leiva's older biological children. Track SoCal rain with LIVE Megadoppler 7000 HD. All rights reserved. Both will face a single trial at the same time with two juries, one . So the boys would be in trouble so Kareem would have me and [my other brother] beat up Anthony or me and Anthony beat up [my other brother]. He told the court that multiple brain injuries ranged in age from one day to three weeks. Doctors were horrified to discover there was fatal internal bleeding in his skull - he had allegedly also been whipped with a belt and a looped cord, and had hot sauce poured on his face, court documents say. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By Christine Pelisek. (Family photo) This story appeared in the Los Angeles Times on July 3, 2018 By Garrett Therolf Anthony Avalos suffered at least five days of sustained torture that culminated in the 10-year-old boy's death last However, the L.A. Office of Child Protection reviewed how DCFS had reviewed Anthonys case and said the question of whether the case was properly handled cannot be answered.. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Anthony Avalos died from a suspicious bleed to the brain in 2018, Heather Barron was accused of killing her son Anthony, Kareem Ernesto Leiva allegedly encouraged others to beat up the 10-year-old, according to authorities, Antony Avalos was allegedly dangled from a height and repeatedly dropped on his head, Antony with his aunt Maria Barron, who reported abuse, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). [4], On August 28, 2019, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced it was seeking the death penalty against both Barron and Leiva. "Think about a 10-year-old child kneeling down on rice and nails," Hatami said. LOS ANGELES - The grand jury transcript was unsealed Monday in the case of a Lancaster woman and her boyfriend, who are accused of torturing and murdering her 10-year-old son. California Boy, 10, Who Came Out as Gay Before Death Was Tortured for Days, Prosecutors Say, Moms Boyfriend Arrested After Death of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Had Said He Liked Boys, Many 'Red Flags' but No One to Save Him: Inside the Short Life and Slow Death of 10-Year-Old Anthony Avalos, Homophobia May Not Have Motivated Killing of 10-Year-Old Who Said He 'Liked Boys': Sheriff, Mom's Boyfriend Arrested on Suspicion of Murder After Death of 10-Year-Old Boy Who Had Said He 'Liked Boys', Mother of 10-Year-Old Who Came Out as Gay Weeks Before Death Charged with His Murder and Torture, California Boy, 10, Who Came Out as Gay Before Death Was Tortured for Days: Prosecutors, Boy, 10, Came Out as Gay Just Weeks Before His Suspicious Death, Official Says, Restaurant Manager Saw Bruises on Boy, Then Wrote Sign Asking 'Do You Need Help?' LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- When 10-year-old Anthony Avalos was rushed to the hospital in June of 2018 not breathing and with no pulse, first responders were somewhat perplexed. Dark red spots showed multiple subdural hematomas - a type of bleeding that occurs between the skull and the surface of the brain. After closing arguments, Judge Ohta said he would take the case under deliberation. Two weeks later, with no one to monitor his well-being, he was dead, his battered body covered with bruises, lesions and bloody scrapes from the lashes of belts and electrical cables. The 10-year-old straight-A student was on the school's honor roll. ", "Kareem Leiva is evil," Sperber told the court. In the wake of Anthony's death, the county issued a report saying the circumstances, while "horrible, heartbreaking and apparently brutal," were "very dissimilar" to Gabriel's death. Leiva and Barron are charged with killing Anthony through years of torment that ended with his death in 2018 and abusing both Rafael and Destiny. Barron's attorney agreed with the prosecutor's assessment that Leiva is evil.. One of Leiva's daughters, who is now 18, testified that she also saw her father repeatedly dropping Anthony on the floor and that the boy appeared to be dead when she saw him two days later. Harry and Meghan evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles after Spare memoir, Emmerdale's Amy Nuttall caught cheating hubby after sexy lingerie slip-up, Constance Marten and lover arrested over manslaughter, Woman found murdered is missing mum who had not been seen since before Xmas, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. The children, who were identified by their first names, Destiny and Rafael, both testified that Leiva picked Anthony up by the ankles and dropped him on his head 20 times the day before police were called to the home on June 20, 2018. "He admitted to brutalizing Anthony, he confessed to every single act of violence and torture, and he runs away from every bit of damage that he creates.". "Some kid 12 years old, he's half the size of what he should be, and I don't know what goes on in that . The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has dropped its bid for the death penalty against a Lancaster mother and her boyfriend charged in the death of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, a . Relatives of a 10-year-old Lancaster boy who died after allegedly being subjected to extensive torture by his mother and her boyfriend lost a round in court Tuesday when a judge . Barron and Leiva are charged with one count each of murder and torture involving the June 2018 death of Anthony Avalos, along with two counts of child abuse involving the boy's half-siblings, identified in court as "Destiny O." "[5] In another statement, he said, "At one point Anthony could not walk, was unconscious lying on his bedroom floor for hours, was not provided medical attention, and could not eat on his own.[6]. But thats not murder, said Dan Chambers, Leivas attorney. Anthony had been under . Jessica Avalos, age 40s, lives in El Paso, TX. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. "They are bad, evil people - and I use the word 'people' lightly because they are nothing short of monsters," Hatami said of the defendants, calling their abuse intentional and systematic. Anthony Avalos April 20, 2003 - February 3, 2021 Bradenton, Florida - Anthony Avalos, 17, of Bradenton, FL passed away February 3, 2021. "Cause of death would be blunt force head trauma.". More witnesses in the Anthony Avalos case take the stand. Long before 10-year-old Anthony Avalos died on Thursday with severe head injuries and cigarette burns covering his body, law enforcement officers and child protective caseworkers documented years of severe abuse allegations, according to sources familiar with the case history. Anthonys uncle David Barron who is Heather Barrons brother previously told PEOPLE he doesnt know if his sister or her boyfriend knew whether Anthony told others he liked boys. But he says that the widespread abuse in the home that authorities allege seemed to point to something more endemic. Leivas conduct allegedly grew worse as the children underwent further questioning. He was immediately rushed to a local hospital. The investigation detailed how DCFS missed clear signals and failed to follow protocol in Anthonys case, leaving him in the custody of Barron and Leiva. Following . Horrifyingly, this was just one of the alleged torture methods they are are accused of inflicting on him before his death, according to authorities. 3 Kansas City officers shot while executing search warrant, chief says, At least 36 dead, 66 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials, Video shows group of sharks in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast. [4], Caseworkers responded to 13 complaints of abuse regarding Avalos between February 2013 and April 2016, including sexual abuse when he was four years old. The deputy director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Brandon Nichols, previously said that Anthony had said he "liked boys" before he died - but didn't offer any detail on who he told and when,the LA Times reports. Marlee, a SoCal family's beloved dog, not only survived 17 days of disappearance but also made it past a historic snowstorm. Judge to hear closing arguments in trial of, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Judge to hear closing arguments in trial of mother, boyfriend in Anthony Avalos death, Students pepper-sprayed following race-related protest in San Bernardino, LA County reaches $28.85 million settlement with Kobe Bryants family, With soaring mountains steep in snow, heres how to avoid an avalanche, Former CHP officer charged with assaulting woman during traffic stop near Santa Clarita. His aunt, Karla Avalos, previouslytold NBC News: "I'm mad, because there was multiple reports done What is wrong with the system?". Judge Samuel Ohta will deliberate and render a verdict as both the prosecution and defense agreed to have the case tried without a jury. "This was intentional murder by torture.". Mother and her ex-boyfriend are standing trial, accused in the home that authorities allege to. 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