Authorities in Pennsylvania have filed criminal charges against a young mother and her boyfriend after the death of a 3-year-old boy that investigators say followed repeated abuse inside the family’s home.
Police in Allegheny County responded to an emergency call Wednesday afternoon after reports that a child was not breathing. The toddler, identified as Devin Goodson, was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead less than an hour later, according to investigators.
The boy’s mother, 23-year-old Lagomau Malu, told police she discovered her son unresponsive around noon. Court documents say she attempted chest compressions before dialing 911.
However, doctors examining the child quickly raised alarms about the extent of his injuries. Medical staff discovered several bone fractures, both recent and older ones that were still healing. According to reports cited by WTAE, physicians described the injuries as “indicative of significant level of a violence.”
During questioning by investigators, Malu initially said she did not know how her son became injured. Authorities say she later admitted that she struck the child the night before his death.
According to statements detailed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Malu told police she had been upset after the boy wet himself and admitted “hitting him in the face two to three times.”
She told investigators that the child screamed and fell. Afterward, she said she placed him in a diaper and put him to bed. When she checked on him the following morning, he was unresponsive.
Investigators also documented disturbing statements about how Malu disciplined her children. She reportedly described using “physical discipline” because the child was “the problem.” According to police records, she said she sometimes used wooden drumsticks to strike him until he screamed, claiming he “doesn’t care.” Speaking about another child in the home, she allegedly told investigators that the younger boy was “well trained.”
The woman’s boyfriend, 32-year-old Adam Chirico, also spoke with detectives and acknowledged he had been aware of ongoing abuse. Chirico reportedly said Malu had been physically violent toward the children in the past and told investigators she had previously broken the toddler’s arm.
Chirico said he once attempted to file a complaint with social services but later withdrew it. He told police he feared that if authorities removed the children, Malu would retaliate by damaging the home.
According to his statement, the night before the child died he was outside working on his vehicle when he “heard yelling and then a thud.” When he went inside, he said he found Devin with “an imprint of an object across the top of his skull” and Malu on the floor holding the boy “with her knees pressed to his chest.”
Investigators say Chirico also admitted asking Malu to delay calling for help the following morning after the child was discovered unresponsive. He told police he wanted time to take the couple’s 2-year-old child and leave before authorities arrived.
Following the investigation, prosecutors filed charges against both adults.
Malu was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children in connection with the toddler’s death. Chirico was charged a day later with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
The case remains under investigation as authorities review medical findings and witness statements tied to the fatal incident.
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