The father of a 6-year-old Arizona boy who weighed just 18 pounds when he died was found guilty this week of murder and other charges related to the boy’s death.
The Coconino County jury also found 28-year-old Anthony Martinez guilty of first degree murder, child abuse, kidnapping, and aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, KNXV reported.
Police were called to the family’s home in Flagstaff on March 2, 2020, by the Deshaun Martinez’s grandmother, as CrimeOnline reported. Firefighters were unable to revive the boy, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The medical examiner’s report said the boy’s skin was stretched over his bones and he had almost no body fat, giving him a skeletal appearance. His eyes, surrounded by dark circles, were sunken, and his hair was brittle, the report said.
The child’s parents allegedly admitted they kept him and his 7-year-old brother inside a closet in a bedroom and sometimes withheld food. The parents said they put the children in the closet to punish them for sneaking in the kitchen and stealing food at night.
The other two children — girls who were 2 and 4 at the time — were healthy and their weight was appropriate for their size and age and they didn’t have any food restrictions, NBC News reported.
Martinez and the children’s mother, Elizabeht Archibeque, lived with his mother Ann Marie Martinez. All three were arrested. Archibeque pleaded guilty to murder and child abuse charges a year ago and was sentenced to life without parole. The grandmother is set to go on trial in August.
Anthony Martinez is scheduled for sentencing on June 28, the Arizona Daily Sun said. The murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence.
