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Police have arrested a Southern California couple accused of unthinkable acts against a 10-year-old boy. Alejandra Marin, 51, and Juan Sanchez Moreno, 59, reportedly served as the child’s adoptive parents and allegedly inflicted horrific abuse upon him, eventually leading to the boy’s death. Emergency responders quickly took the child to an area hospital on November 21, 2024, after a 911 call for help but sadly, he died a short time later.
Now Marin and Moreno are under fire, suspected of abuse and torture, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. Police hope that anyone with information will come forward to help them understand what happened to the child.
According to a release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies reported to a home in the 13000 block of Malibu Court in Moreno Valley about 6:30 p.m. November 21. A child was reportedly in “medical distress” inside the residence. Paramedics took the boy to an area hospital for treatment.
Deputies apparently noticed signs of abuse.
The sheriff’s office reported that deputies noticed the child showed signs of possible neglect and abuse. The department sent members of the special victim’s unit to the scene, and they resumed the investigation. At the hospital, the child’s health continued to decline, and he died several hours later.
Investigators determined the child died by homicide.
Homicide investigators arrived at the hospital and took over the investigation. The combined efforts of the special victims unit and the central homicide unit determined that Marin and Moreno allegedly abused their adopted son, leading to his death, the Riverside sheriff’s release noted. Police arrested the parents the next day and charged them with multiple crimes.
The couple could spend many years in jail.
Per the sheriff’s office, Marin and Moreno face charges of torture, murder, and willful harm to a child. According to California law, if convicted of murder, they could face life in prison.
