Minnesota — A Minnesota woman who allegedly stopped by a store while rushing her 20-month-old son to the hospital has been charged with murder after the medical examiner determined the boy’s death was a homicide.
WCCO, a local CBS affiliate, reported that the 32-year-old mother, Valerie Zamora, was charged with second-degree unintentional murder after her 20-month-old son died at a hospital in Moorhead, a city on the state’s border near Fargo, North Dakota.
According to court documents obtained by WCCO, Zamora rushed her son to the hospital on May 15 with her partner and at least one of her three children; however, police say the family stopped at a local Walmart on the way.
According to court documents, the boy became seriously ill on May 14. The next day, he allegedly showed no improvement, and witnesses told police that they urged Zamora to take the boy to the hospital. According to police, Zamora gave the boy Tylenol and Gatorade and then ran errands.
That evening, when one of Zamora’s other children returned home from school between 4:30 and 5 p.m., she “immediately” noticed that the boy required medical attention. Zamora allegedly informed her that she would take the toddler to the hospital once her partner returned home.
The girl told police that she was afraid the little boy would die while she was holding him.
On the night of May 15, Zamora and her family decided to take the child to the hospital. Surveillance cameras caught them at 10:12 p.m. as they stopped at a Walmart to purchase Pedialyte, a dehydration drink.
When Zamora’s partner ran into the store to inform her that the boy was vomiting blood, they all left and “sped” to the hospital, according to the documents.
The little boy died at 11:05 p.m.
When questioned by police, Zamora stated that the boy began vomiting the day before, but she was accused of fabricating her story.
Police confronted her about the bruises on the boy’s body, and she allegedly explained that he bruised easily.
According to court documents, the county coroner who performed the boy’s autopsy determined that he had blunt force injuries from an assault, as well as rib fractures and contusions. The coroner ruled that the death was a homicide.
WCCO reported that in a subsequent interview with Zamora, she admitted that she was hesitant to seek medical care for her toddler because there was “obviously neglect,” and she was afraid that social services would take her children.
Zamora was arrested in Fargo on Friday and booked into Cass County Jail. She is expected to be extradited to Moorhead, where she will face a charge of second-degree unintentional murder.
