UPDATE: Mario Roermartinez, 36, 1317 Peach Street, Immokalee, was charged Wednesday with aggravated manslaughter by neglect in connection with the death of Alan Fernando. Deputies made the arrest late this afternoon at the Collier County jail, where Roermartinez was already in custody on child neglect and child abuse charges related to this case.Investigators say Roermartinez was Huertas’ live-in boyfriend at the time the infant died.
Original Release:
Mother Charged In Infant's Death
WHAT: Child death arrest
WHO: Noraida Huertas, 20, of Philadelphia, Penn.
ARREST DATE: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008
CHARGE: Aggravated manslaughter
CRIME DATE: Oct. 17, 2007
CRIME LOCATION: 1317 Peach St., Immokalee
VICTIM: Alan Fernando Morales, 8 months.
SUMMARY: Deputies arrested Huertas and charged her in connection with the death of her infant son while they were living in Immokalee last year.
Arrest reports give this account:
Huertas told deputies that she awoke shortly after noon on Oct. 17, 2007, and discovered her 8-month-old son Alan was not breathing.
The child was flown to NCH North Naples Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 12:45 p.m.
An autopsy by the Collier County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the child died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen. The autopsy found that the child had sustained injuries to his abdomen and face that appeared to be bruises and were in various stages of healing.
The autopsy also revealed scar tissue in the lower abdomen from a previous injury unrelated to the cause of death. That injury was also believed to have been caused by blunt force trauma.
Huertas told deputies that her son was prone to bruising and had a blood disorder, though she could not provide any medical proof.
She also showed deputies pictures she had taken with her cell phone of bruises about her son’s body which she never sought treatment for.
Physicians who examined the boy and reviewed the cell phone photos told deputies that the boy’s injuries did not appear to be accidental and that they believed he had been abused.
Huertas was arrested at the Collier County jail, where she has been held since her April 23 arrest on a child abuse charge in connection with this incident.
