Moorhead, MN – An attorney for Valerie Zamora is pushing to exclude her interviews with police from court. Zamora, 33, faces charges in the death of her 20-month-old son, Jose, who died in May after the family reportedly stopped at a Walmart to purchase Pedialyte on the way to the hospital.
Zamora was arrested following an investigation that determined she may have been responsible for the child’s death. On May 15, Zamora, her partner, and their daughter brought Jose to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:05 p.m.
During court proceedings on Monday, Zamora’s defense attorney argued that the recorded interviews conducted after Jose’s death should not be permitted as evidence. The attorney claimed Zamora was not advised of her Miranda rights during the three police interviews, which took place at the hospital and later at the police station.
Detective Katie Schultz testified that Zamora voluntarily spoke with police, stating she could end the conversation at any time since she was not under arrest. Zamora’s attorney, Michael Minard, argued the defense should prevail as the client had requested legal representation during the third interview.
Police noted that Zamora initially provided inconsistent statements regarding her son’s health leading to his death. She reportedly expressed concerns about social services taking her children away when asked why she hesitated to seek medical help the previous day.
Witnesses informed investigators that they had urged Zamora to take Jose to the hospital before his condition worsened. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Zamora entering Walmart at 10:12 p.m., just moments before Jose began showing serious symptoms.
Zamora is currently held at Clay County Jail facing a charge of second-degree murder following her extradition from Cass County.