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The murder of little Anthony Avalos: Parents of slain 10-yr-old get life for killing son they say was gay

10-year-old Anthony Avalos died in 2018 after being brutally assaulted and tormented by Barron and Leiva

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised.

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LOS ANGLES, CALIFORNIA: Heather Maxine Barron, 33, and Kareem Ernesto Leiva, 37, received life sentences without the possibility of parole for the murder of Barron's 10-year-old son, Anthony Avalos. The sentencing was carried out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 25, after the couple was convicted in March 2021.

10-year-old Avalos died in 2018 after being brutally assaulted and tormented by Barron and her boyfriend, Leiva. Judge Sam Ohta came to the conclusion that the California duo "derived pleasure from seeing Anthony suffer" and he detailed the horrible torture that included malnutrition, dehydration, and cold-blooded beatings.

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'A purposeful and coordinated action by both the parents'

Barron's legal team argued that she had battered woman syndrome and was a "slave" to Leiva's abuse. Judge Ohta, however, asserts that the evidence shows that "both defendants Leiva and Barron at separate times independently went into Anthony's room" and locked him inside. "This meant each had to lock his door when each exited," the judge said. "This was clearly a purposeful and coordinated action by both the parents."

Initially, former LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey had pursued the death penalty for the couple, but the current District Attorney, George Gascon's office, eventually decided not to proceed with it. "These two are monsters, and monsters belong in cages. Please, do not give them the opportunity to hurt somebody else," a speaker said during the victim impact portion of the hearing, as reported by Daily Mail.

During the trial, prosecutors contended that Avalos was subjected to torture for a minimum of five days before being discovered unresponsive on June 20, 2018. He was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he later died. The coroner stated that the cause of his death was due to blunt force trauma to his head. "At one point Anthony could not walk, was unconscious lying on his bedroom floor for hours, was not provided medical attention, and could not eat on his own," Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami wrote in 2018. 

During the sentencing hearing Tuesday, the judge explained his mindset on the life sentences. "Anthony was a helpless child who was dependent (on the defendants) ... for his basic physical needs and emotional support. Instead, Anthony was tortured and killed," Ohta said.

'Heather is an evil monster'

During the court hearing, Avalos' family members gave emotional statements, holding back tears as they pleaded with Judge Ohta to impose the maximum sentence. "Because of her actions, I can no longer claim her as my family. In my mind, she is dead to me," said Dana B, a cousin of Avalos. "You tortured your kids, you failed your kids. And because of you, our family is broken," Maria Barron, Heather's sister, said. She expressed her disgust towards Barron, referring to her as a "monster," for committing unspeakable acts against a child. "Heather, you took his dreams and hopes away. You were supposed to be his protector," she said.

"I miss my cousin Anthony," said one young boy who read a written statement. "Heather is an evil monster," the child said. "She deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison. I don't forgive Heather for taking my cousin's life. I hope she gets beat up in jail because I just wanted to meet Anthony." Maria, one of the speakers, expressed her disgust towards Barron, referring to her as a "monster," for committing unspeakable acts against a child.

'Enjoy life in prison'

Following the couple's sentencing, people took to Twitter to express their thoughts. One user wrote, "You Beat/starved/tortured your 10 y/o son to death Because he told family members you're homosexuals. Well, enjoy life in prison, homosexuals. You two will love it, it's full of homosexual. Just like you, homosexuals. You can now RIP Anthony Avalos," while another agreed, saying, "Life in prison is too good for these monsters. Prison justice would be welcomed. Anthony Avalos deserved a happy, loving, healthy childhood, NOT what these vile monsters did to him."

One user asked, "Why not the death penalty? This would seem to qualify," while another added, "Ugh, well if there's a hell we know where she will be for eternity after her jail sentence is served." A different user simply wrote, "Pure evil," while an angry user tweeted, "May little Anthony Avalos rest in peace and those two monsters burn in hell."

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