11-year-old boy found dead in Los Angeles had been confined to a wardrobe for three years
Yonatan Daniel Aguilar's mother told school officials and the boy's stepfather that he had been sent to live in Mexico
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An 11-year-old boy found dead at his family’s Los Angeles home in August had been confined to a wardrobe by his mother for three years, it has emerged.
When Yonatan Daniel Aguilar vanished in 2013, his mother, Veronica Aguilar, told people he had been sent to live at an institution in Mexico. Despite previous allegations of abuse, the police, social workers and school officials never investigated. Even the boy’s stepfather, Jose Pinzon, appears to have been unaware that Yonatan was at home the whole time.
According to court records obtained this week by the Los Angeles Times, Aguilar, 39, kept her son locked in a bedroom cupboard, where he was sedated with a sleep-inducing syrup. Police found the child’s malnourished body spotted with pressure sores from the tiled floor and surrounded by cups of the liquid medication.
Pinzon told police he only learned his stepson had died when his wife told him on 22 August and asked him to care for her three remaining children. Pinzon assumed she would travel to Mexico to bury Yonatan’s body, but instead she led him to the wardrobe, where he found the boy’s lifeless body, weighing little more than 15kg, in a space too small to stretch his legs.
Pinzon then ran to a nearby convenience store in the Echo Park neighbourhood, where he called the police. Aguilar has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Her three other children told authorities that they had known where their brother was for the past three years, but were forbidden by their mother from telling anyone. It is thought Yonatan may have been autistic. His eldest brother, who is 18, said the family had recently moved to Echo Park from another home, where Yonatan had also been hidden in a cupboard.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments