A Penn Hills mother has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of her 3-year-old son who died Wednesday.
Allegheny County Police said late Wednesday that Lagomau Malu, 23, was charged in connection with the death of a child that detectives were called to investigate.
Police said that county dispatchers were notified of a 3-year-old boy who wasn’t breathing along Dorothy Drive in Penn Hills around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The boy was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the 3-year-old boy as Devin Goodson.
The medical examiner’s office hasn’t released an official cause or manner of death.
A neighbor who lives close by said that she was shocked to learn about this case.
“It was scary,” she said. “It was very, very scary. It’s strange. I’ve lived here over 20-something years now, and nothing like this has ever happened. I was just praying for them, praying everything was okay. It was not a good sight to see. It was like they were carrying a dummy or something. He was not responsive at all.”
Police said that detectives called to investigate the child’s death were made aware by hospital staff that the boy showed what police called “obvious signs of physical abuse, including multiple healing and active bone fractures.”
According to court paperwork, detectives said they interviewed witnesses and determined that Malu was responsible for physically abusing the child on multiple occasions.
During an interview with detectives at Allegheny County Police Headquarters on Wednesday, Malu admitted to police that she had hit the child in the face the prior night because he wet the bed and his underwear.
Malu also told police that she used wooden drumsticks to hit the child and described previously hitting the child, not stopping until her hand hurt.
Police said that Malu was taken to the Allegheny County Jail to be arraigned on multiple felony charges including aggravated assault, child endangerment, and reckless endangerment.
According to court paperwork, Adam Chirico, 32, has been charged with child endangerment and reckless endangerment in connection with the case.
Police said that Chirico and Malu have another child together and were granted custody of Goodson late last year.
During an interview with police on Wednesday, Chirico told detectives that he was aware of Malu’s alleged abuse of Goodson.
Chirico also told detectives that when he knew something was wrong with Goodson on Wednesday, he had Malu delay calling for medical help so that he could leave before any agency responded to the home.
According to court records, a preliminary hearing date has not been set for Chirico.
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