The parents and grandmother of an 8-year-old boy who was found dead inside a cooler filled with ice in a Lynwood apartment were charged Friday with murder, torture and other counts.
The mother, Destiny Harrison, 25; father, Daniel Monzon, 25; and grandmother, Ana Zarceno-Carcamo, 45, all had been scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Compton. But only Harrison appeared in court, and her arraignment was postponed until Nov. 20 at the defense’s request.
The father and grandmother are now scheduled to appear in court Monday. All three are being held on $2 million bail.
All three were charged with murder, torture and willful cruelty to a child, with an allegation of willful harm resulting in death. Monzon and Zarceno-Carcamo were also charged with being an accessory after the fact, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The criminal complaint reveals new allegations in the case. The boy was previously said to have been found inside a freezer, but his body was in fact located inside a cooler, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors claim the boy — identified only as Isaiah H — was abused by his mother, father and paternal grandmother over “a long period of time.”
“The boy succumbed to his injuries early on (Friday) Oct. 24 and his body was found days later in a cooler filled with ice,” the DA’s office said in a statement.
Authorities previously said they believed the boy was 7, but prosecutors now say he was 8.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were contacted at 8:36 p.m. Tuesday by someone at the scene who reported that the child was unresponsive, and responded to the location in the 3100 block of Euclid Avenue in Lynwood to conduct a welfare check.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department also arrived at the location a short time later, where they pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
The boy’s siblings — ages 16, 14 and 9 months old — were at the scene when authorities responded. They were taken into protective custody by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
Harrison, Monzon and Zarceno-Carcamo, who were arrested at the scene, were all being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
If convicted as charged, they each face 32 years to life in state prison, according to prosecutors.
Neighbors gathered near the crime scene Thursday to remember the boy. Candles, flowers and stuffed animals lined the sidewalk on Euclid Avenue, ABC 7 reported.
Residents who lived nearby told KTLA they would often see Harrison walking her dog or picking up her children from the school bus.
“That’s traumatizing to know that kid had to suffer like that,” a neighbor identified only as Mia said. “A lot of people are trying to figure out what family did this… how did we not know? How did other people not know? There are thousands of people living around here, and none of us heard a thing or even saw anything on any of the kids.”
City News Service contributed to this report.