Facebook/Gabriel’s Justice
Gabriel Fernandez was tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend
Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, yesterday pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to the murder of her eight-year-old son, Gabriel.
Her guilty plea follows the guilty verdict handed down to her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, last November for the boy’s murder.
Gabriel’s death came in May 2013 in Palmdale, LA, following a sustained campaign of abuse against the child. His older sister, 14, testified at the trial that her mother and her boyfriend picked on the boy because they thought he was gay.
Jury members heard a horrific catalogue of abuse suffered by the child. He was doused in pepper spray, forced him to eat cat litter and feces, had cigarettes put out on his skin and beaten with a bat. Aguirre also shot at him with a BB gun.
He was also forced to sleep, bound and gagged, in a cabinet.
Horrific injuries
When paramedics were called out to attend him, he was discovered unconscious with a cracked skull, broken ribs, burned and bruised skin, missing teeth and BB pellets lodged in his groin.
Mother Pearl Sinthia Fernandez yesterday pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. She also admitted a special circumstance allegation of intentional murder by torture. Prosecutors had been seeking the death penalty if the case went to trial. Her plea means she faces life without parole when she is sentenced in June.
Pearl Fernandez
The jury in Aguirre’s case recommended he face the death penalty. He will be sentenced 8 March.
Gabriel’s death has also led to complaints about how his case was handled by Los Angeles County social services. Two former social workers are now awaiting trial on one felony count each of child abuse and falsifying public records.
