Police: 19-year-old mother accused of assaulting and killing 2-year-old son

KENT, Wash. - A 19-year-old woman is expected to face a charge of second-degree murder for the death of her 2-year-old son.

Kent police launched the months long investigation back in May. Officers responded to the Hometowne Suites on Pacific Highway S back on May 23 when the woman called to report her son wasn’t breathing, and was cold and unresponsive.

Officers observed some bruises on the boy’s body, according to charging documents. Police learned the mother worked at the motel as a housekeeper and lived in a room with her son and her boyfriend, who is not the biological father.

While the mother and boyfriend would sleep in the queen size bed, the two-year-old slept on the hardwood floor with a blanket and pillow, according to court documents.

Police said the mother and boyfriend reported the boy started vomiting brown fluid the morning before, and he was waking up every two hours but did not show signs of distress.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the boy’s death a homicide on June 22. 

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said the boy suffered from massive internal injuries including a skull fracture, a fractured jaw, internal bleeding, an infection and multiple bruises and scrapes.

"The mother in this case, the defendant, struck her two-year-old son several times to the point where it resulted in significant injuries that led to an infection, and, ultimately, the two-year-old child’s death, and so this is a terrible and disturbing case," said Douglas Wagoner, Deputy Director of Communications at the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

While the mother initially denied any physical discipline of her son, once detectives informed her of the autopsy results, the mother admitted to slamming the boy on the floor the morning he began puking. She also admitted to striking the boy in the stomach area on two occasions, once in April and once a week before his death, according to charging documents.

FOX 13 interviewed Shaun Earl and Jaime Bentley who are the boy’s grandparents on his biological father’s side. They are devastated and said they want justice for the grandchild they never had the opportunity to build a relationship with.

"He was my first grandson. I’ll never get to experience that with him," said Earl. "He didn’t get the love he deserved, and there’s no excuse for that."

"We could send clothing, diapers, we could get you a place to live and help with Jose as much as possible, and she never wanted any of that," said Bentley. "This should never happen, and I’m hoping in the near future we can get some stuff done in Jose’s name. So this does not happen ever again."

The 19-year-old is in custody on a $1 million bond. She will be formally charged next Thursday for second-degree murder.