Mother, whose boyfriend occasionally beat her 5-year-old son and forcefully slammed him against the wall, killing him, chose not to call 911 and instead assisted him in burying the boy; sentenced
Texas – In a heartbreaking incident in Texas, a 27-year-old mother, identified as N. Aguilar, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in the death of her 5-year-old son, Domenic. Judge V. Meza handed down the sentence on Tuesday, concluding a case that revealed disturbing details of child abuse and fatal neglect.
Aguilar was initially charged with child abuse resulting in death. However, after striking a plea deal with prosecutors, she pleaded guilty to a lesser count of injury to a child resulting in serious bodily injury by omission. This plea was crucial in securing a conviction against her boyfriend, D. Garcia, who was found guilty of injuring a child resulting in death by a jury in May.
The details that emerged during the trial painted a grim picture of Domenic’s last weeks. The abuse escalated after Aguilar and Garcia, who met online and moved from Florida to Texas, began living together with their children. In court, Aguilar testified that while each parent initially disciplined their own children, Garcia took over disciplining Dominic, claiming Aguilar was not strict enough.
Aguilar recounted numerous instances where Garcia abused Dominic for minor misbehaviors, such as not responding quickly enough or not eating his food fast enough. The abuse reached a tragic end on July 24, 2021, at a hotel. On that fateful day, Garcia threw Dominic against a wall with such force that the boy bounced off and fell to the floor, vomiting a dark substance shortly before his death.
After the incident, rather than seeking medical help, Garcia and Aguilar fled to Colorado with Dominic’s body, which they buried in a remote area. Aguilar later assisted authorities in recovering her son’s remains from a ravine near their campsite. Surveillance footage from the hotel confirmed the couple carrying Dominic’s lifeless body to their car, a stark testament to the horrific events.
During her trial, Aguilar admitted to not intervening during the abuse because she was “too eager to be in a relationship.” Judge Meza, before delivering the maximum 15-year sentence permissible under the plea agreement, expressed her disdain for Aguilar’s actions, stating, “You have earned every single day of the 15 years that you have plea bargained for.” This sentence reflects not only the gravity of Aguilar’s neglect but also serves as a legal closure to a case that exposed deep undercurrents of domestic abuse. Garcia is set for a sentencing hearing on August 14, where he faces a potential life sentence, reflecting the severity of his actions.
