A mother facing charges of torturing and killing her 8-year-old son shielded her face in court following the distressing discovery of the boy’s body in a cooler filled with ice.
The boy, known as Isaiah H, was found in the cooler in an apartment building on October 28, leading to murder and torture charges against the parents and grandmother. The shocking incident came to light when a neighbor raised concerns and requested a welfare check.
During her initial court appearance, Destiny Luckie Harrison, 25, the mother of Isaiah, obscured her face from view, while the boy’s father, Daniel Alberto Monzon, 25, and grandmother, Ana Carcamo Zarceno, 45, did not attend the court session.
In addition to the murder and torture charges, the trio also faces accusations of being accessories after the fact, as stated in a news release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman expressed deep concern, emphasizing that the alleged abuse Isaiah suffered was particularly distressing given that it allegedly occurred at the hands of his own family members.
The arrests of the three individuals took place on October 31, the same day they were supposed to appear in court in Compton. Monzon refused to appear in court, citing health reasons, while Zarceno claimed illness.
Harrison did show up in court, but her defense attorney used file folders to shield her face, even during her entrance into the courtroom. Authorities mentioned that Isaiah, believed to be eight years old, was challenging to identify.
After the discovery of Isaiah’s body, three other children aged 16, 14, and 9 were found in the same apartment complex. One of the children reportedly witnessed the alleged abuse. Bail for the parents and grandmother has been set at $2 million.
If convicted, the defendants could face a sentence of 32 years to life in a California state prison, according to the district attorney’s office.