Allegheny County detectives say the child showed signs of severe abuse, including multiple healing and active bone fractures.
Penn Hills, PA – Allegheny County police have charged both parents in connection with the death of a 3-year-old boy found unresponsive at a home in Penn Hills.
Emergency crews were called around 12:43 p.m. Wednesday to the 300 block of Dorothy Drive after a report of a child not breathing, according to the Allegheny County Police Department. The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Key Points
• A 3-year-old boy was found not breathing at a Penn Hills home and later died at a hospital
• Police say the child showed signs of severe physical abuse, including bone fractures
• Both the child’s mother and father have now been charged in connection with the case
Investigation launched after child’s death
Detectives from the Allegheny County Police Department’s Homicide Unit were called to investigate after hospital staff discovered signs of possible abuse during the child’s examination.
Authorities said the boy had multiple healing and active bone fractures, indicating ongoing physical abuse.
Investigators began interviewing witnesses and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Mother charged with abuse
Police said the investigation determined that the child’s mother, 23-year-old Lagomau Malu, had physically abused the boy on multiple occasions.
Malu was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. She was taken to the Allegheny County Jail pending preliminary arraignment.
Father also charged in case
In an update released Thursday, investigators announced charges against the child’s father, 22-year-old Adam Chirico.
Police said Chirico is charged with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the incident.
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing as the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office works to determine the official cause and manner of the child’s death.