The mother of a 6-year-old who was found unresponsive with multiple injuries in his Sandy home, and who died two days later, was charged Thursday with murder.
Sandy police initially investigated 31-year-old Reyna Elizabeth Flores-Rosales for child abuse after they found her son unresponsive in their home on Feb. 25. (Court documents first listed the child’s age as 7, but his age was 6.)
When the child never woke up and died at the hospital two days later, detectives shifted to build a murder case.
According to court documents, the 6-year-old died because of a blow to the right side of his head. It caused the child’s brain to bleed and swell. That swelling displaced his brain and killed him.
Yet, medics found the child was covered in other injuries, including burns on his buttocks, scars, bruises and swelling and open sores.
A doctor told police “there is not an accidental explanation for all of the above injuries," according to charging documents.
Investigators have said Flores-Rosales was previously reported to the Department of Child and Family Services because of suspected abuse. Flores-Rosales and her 10-month-old child were the only other people who lived in the Sandy home before her arrest.
Flores-Rosales has been in jail since Feb. 26 and has not been granted bail. She has been charged with aggravated murder and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, first-degree felonies. She is also facing two second-degree felony charges of child abuse.
Jail records show federal authorities have also placed an immigration hold on Flores-Rosales, who is from Honduras.
