Thursday 31 March 2011

AHT: California: Esteban Alamo charged with murder

March 28th, 2011
INDIO - A Los Angeles parolee pleaded not guilty today to fatally beating his girlfriend's 22-month-old son.
Esteban Alamo, 25, faces charges of murder and assaulting a child.
Serik Mathew Nieto died Oct. 9 -- five days after Alamo allegedly hit the boy repeatedly, inflicting head trauma while he was watching the toddler at his mother's house in Indio.
Serik's 4-year-old sister told detectives that Alamo had beaten and "killed" her brother and also said the defendant would, on occasion, slap her on the face, stomach and shoulders, according to a declaration filed in support of an arrest warrant by Indio police Detective Julio Diaz.
During an interview with police, Alamo said he was "cooking and cleaning" at his girlfriend's home during the hours between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4 while also watching her children, according to the declaration. Alamo told officers he heard the boy crying outside in the backyard and figured he had fallen, Diaz said.
He also allegedly told investigators that he "did not like children and would lose his temper very quickly," and advised his girlfriend to "slap the s---" out of her kids when they got on his nerves.
Alamo's girlfriend called police when she arrived home that afternoon and  found the toddler lying in his bed with white foam coming from his mouth, according to police.
Serik was airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center. Doctors there initially thought the boy died as a result of "Shaken Baby Syndrome," but the pathologist who performed the autopsy determined the toddler was beaten to death, according to Diaz.
A man who lived with Alamo and his girlfriend at their apartment told investigators that Alamo slapped Serik's sister when she was trying to prevent him from hitting her brother, according to Diaz.
Jim Toro also told investigators that one day when the boy was crying, he heard Alamo tell the child, "Shut up you little brat! I'm going to kill you!", according to the declaration.
Alamo is being held on $1 million bail. He was extradited from Los Angeles County, where he was arrested on suspicion of violating terms of his parole for leaving the county. He had been in prison for a firearms violation, according to the arrest warrant.
Though Alamo was arrested in Los Angeles County on Oct. 14, charges in Riverside County were not filed until February.
Alamo is due back at the Larson Justice Center on April 7 for a felony settlement conference.
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/55238/

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