Proponents of a drive to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón say the progressive prosecutor is “going easy” on a couple accused of
Proponents of a drive to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón say the progressive prosecutor is “going easy” on a couple accused of killing a 10-year-old boy after his office dropped its bid for the death penalty this week. City News Service reports, Heather Maxine Barron,31, and her boyfriend, Kareem Ernesto Leiva,35, were charged in the June 2018 death of Barron’s son, Anthony Avalos. According to the outlet, both could now face a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged of murder and torture. Prosecutors had added a special-circumstance allegation of murder involving the infliction of torture to the underlying charges, which had made Barron and Leiva eligible for capital punishment. The latest controversial move from the D.A.’s office stems from a set of special directives Gascón unveiled after taking office in December that barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty. Leiva’s attorney told KCAL News that the legal team expected this decision after Gascón took office. “This is not based upon new evidence,” said L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, who has been a vocal critic of Gascón’s new direction. “This is not based upon new mitigation or new law. I stand by the special-circumstance committee decision that I announced to the court on the record two years ago.” Do those who voted for LA County’s new District Attorney support this move? The death penalty has been taken off the table for a mother and her boyfriend who allegedly tortured her 10 y/o son, Anthony Avalos, to death. Gascón’s own deputy DA is speaking out against him. @KTLA pic.twitter.com/oxswcQkStj Christina Pascucci (@ChristinaKTLA) May 7, 2021 The Los Angeles Times reported that Avalos “came out as gay” weeks before his death. Sources told the Times that law enforcement officers and the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) had “documented years of severe abuse allegations,” the outlet had previously reported. In 2018, the Times provided more details about the alleged abuse that prosecutors say led to Avalos’ death: For a week or so before Anthony slipped out of consciousness and died on June 21, Barron and Leiva allegedly poured hot sauce on the boy’s face, forced him to kneel on rice and repeatedly lashed the bottom of his feet with a belt, according to a motion filed by Deputy Dist.
