GUILTY CA - Anthony Avalos, 10, possibly died after abuse by mother, Lancaster, 20 June 2018 *arrests*

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Tuesday, April 25th:
*Sentencing Hearing for both (@ 9am PT) – CA – Anthony Avalos (10) (June 20, 2018, Lancaster; died 6/21/18) – *Heather Maxine Barrón (29/now 33) (“mom”) arrested & charged (6/29/18), arraigned (7/2/18), indicted (10/31/18) & recharged & indicted (2/27/19) with 1st degree capital murder, torture (special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture) & 2 counts of child endangerment resulting in death. Plead not guilty. Held on $2M bond. DA will not seek DP. Possible sentence 22 yrs to life.
*Kareem Ernesto Leiva (32/now 36) (BF) arrested (6/27/18), charged (6/29/18), arraigned (7/2/18), indicted (10/31/18) & recharged & indicted (2/27/19) with 1st degree capital murder, torture (special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture) & 2 counts of child endangerment resulting in death. Plead not guilty. Held on $2M bond. DA will not seek DP. Maximum sentence 32 yrs to life.
Bench Trial began on 1/25/23 & ended on 2/21/23. Presiding Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta. Court is dark on Fridays.
Court info from 8/6/18 thru 1/19/23 & Trial Day 1-16 (1/25 to 2/24/23) reference post #252 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/t...-lancaster-20-june-2018-arrest.378137/page-13

3/7/23 Update: Judge Sam Ohta found Barron & Leiva guilty of 1st degree murder & torture in the June 21, 2018, death of Anthony. The judge also found true the special circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture. They were also convicted of two counts of child abuse involving the boy's half-siblings, identified in court as "Destiny O." & "Rafael O." Leiva & Barron now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole when they are sentenced on 4/25/23.
 
I'm hoping they're going to stream the sentencing as they did with the verdict, but can't find anything so far.
 
Sentencing Live. Sorry don't know how long it's been going. One of her kids is giving impact statement and she's crying.

Cry me a river "mom"

 
I've been seeing clips of victim impact statements this morning on the L.A. news stations but so far no sentence.
Justice is coming Anthony.
 
I'm not sure where you're located @Allabouttrial but the LA station KCAL 9 said it will show the sentencing live. I have no idea what time but KCAL 9 may have a news app. ???
 
I'm not sure where you're located @Allabouttrial but the LA station KCAL 9 said it will show the sentencing live. I have no idea what time but KCAL 9 may have a news app. ???
Yeah thanks. I put a link up earlier, I'm in the UK but have VPN so was able to watch it.

I think I caught most of it. Came in at the tail end of one of her kids giving a statement.

Holy carp that was hard to watch. Even her own family want the max for her. All of them showed such grace giving their statements.

People always say "why didn't the family do something". You only have to listen to this family to realise no matter how hard they tried their hands were tied and and there was nothing more they could do.
 
Her sister said she'd had a conversation with her one day about Gabriel and Barron turned round and said 'I would never be like Pearl Fernandez'. No words.
 

Among those reading victim impact statements Tuesday were several of Anthony's cousins, including 8-year-old Matthew who remembered Anthony always making him laugh.

"I have family and I have a video that I like to play over and over from him making me laugh," Matthew said. "Heather, who's supposed to be my aunt, took Anthony away from us. Heather is an evil monster and she deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison. I don't forgive Heather for taking my cousin's life, and I hope she gets beat up in jail… hope Heather is a horrible life. Anthony's in a better place. And someday we'll be together again, and we will be able to make new memories."


 
@LaborDayRN Has any live stream come back on for you? Judge said 5 mins. but it's gone way past that.
I had to leave the house for an appointment and just got home. LWOP sounds great to me!! I also heard some of Gabriel's family was there in the courthouse to support Anthony's extended family. These two families sadly have suffered very similar, horrific tragedies.
 
I had to leave the house for an appointment and just got home. LWOP sounds great to me!! I also heard some of Gabriel's family was there in the courthouse to support Anthony's extended family. These two families sadly have suffered very similar, horrific tragedies.
Oh wow that's awesome!
 

April 26, 2023
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Lancaster woman and her boyfriend were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the torture and murder of Anthony Avalos, the woman's 10-year-old son.

Heather Maxine Barron, 33, and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 37, were convicted in a non-jury trial March 7 of first-degree murder and torture for the June 21, 2018, death of Anthony Avalos.

Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta, who found the couple guilty, handed down the life-without-parole sentences for the pair Tuesday morning after hearing more than two hours of emotional statements from the boy's relatives and friends, many of whom referred to the defendants as "monsters."
 
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta sentenced them both to life without the possibility of parole, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. The sentencing followed emotional statements from the boy’s relatives and friends, ABC7 reported.

The judge called Anthony Avalos a “helpless child” dependent on his mother for his basic needs. "Instead Anthony was tortured and killed,” Ohta said.
 

Among those reading victim impact statements Tuesday were several of Anthony's cousins, including 8-year-old Matthew who remembered Anthony always making him laugh.

"I have family and I have a video that I like to play over and over from him making me laugh," Matthew said. "Heather, who's supposed to be my aunt, took Anthony away from us. Heather is an evil monster and she deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison. I don't forgive Heather for taking my cousin's life, and I hope she gets beat up in jail… hope Heather is a horrible life. Anthony's in a better place. And someday we'll be together again, and we will be able to make new memories."


oh she will when she hits the yard little man.. just like pearl....
 
Earlier this year, Anthony's mother, Heather Barron, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, were sentenced to life in prison without parole for torturing the boy to death.

The case sparked outrage among the Lancaster community, who has been pushing for better ways to protect young Southern California children from child abuse.

"You see the news on what happened to Anthony and I wouldn't want any other children to suffer like he did," said the boy's aunt Maricruz Avalos. "I know he suffered a lot but always had a smile on his face."

"If you see something, please say something. It could save a child," said Maricruz Avalos.
 

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