September trial date planned in Avalos death
By Valley Press Staff Report
PALMDALE — The case against Heather Maxine Barron, 32, and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 36, on charges that they allegedly murdered and tortured Barron’s son, Anthony Avalos, 10, and abused two other children in the household, will officially start, on Sept. 26, in Department 108 in downtown Los Angeles.
Barron and Leiva will be tried together but with two juries. A grand jury indicted Barron and Leiva, in October 2018, on charges that they murdered the boy and abused two other children in the household.
Prosecutors announced, in August 2019, their intent to seek the death penalty in the case under former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. However, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, under then-new DA George Gascón, dropped its bid for the death penalty, in May 2021.
Barron, and Leiva now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged of murder and torture, along with the special-circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture, for Anthony Avalos’ June 2018 death.
In court papers, prosecutors alleged that Anthony was severely tortured during the last five or six days of his life by Barron and Leiva, who “abused, beat, assaulted and tortured” him.
The alleged abuse included whipping the boy with a belt and a looped cord, pouring hot sauce on his face and mouth, holding him by his feet and dropping him on his head repeatedly, according to the court papers.
Deputies and paramedics responded to a 911 call from Barron about 12:15 p.m., June 20, and found her son unresponsive inside his family’s apartment.
Authorities said they were told that the child had suffered injuries from a fall, but investigators quickly classified the death as “suspicious.”
The boy died early the next morning, authorities said.
https://www.avpress.com/news/septemb...8c5588531.html
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