A Colorado grandmother was convicted on Friday of child abuse that resulted in the death of her baby grandson, the Denver Post reports.
Jurors found Sandy Archuleta guilty in the death of 4-month-old Donovan Archuleta.
In addition to the boy’s own mother, Sandy Archuleta is the second person to be convicted in the infant’s death, according to the district attorney’s office.
In August 2015, Donovan Archuleta died after what investigators believe was days of neglect and abuse.
Sandy Archuleta, 54, was allegedly tasked to care for Donovan while the boy’s mother, Angelica Rey Chavez, had to attend to “other obligations,” according to the newspaper.
“Donovan was a happy, healthy 4-month-old baby when his mother dropped him off,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Ben Whitney said. “But over the course of the next week, he was pinched, bruised, broken and burned. He’s dead because of the defendant.”
The boy was found with chemical burns to his face, gums and mouth; a sepsis infection stemming from pneumonia; and red bruises from tweezers that the grandmother used to pinch him, medical records show.
He also had broken ribs, which were not caused by performing CPR, medical examiners concluded.
When Chavez, Donovan’s mother, came back home, she disregarded warnings signs and did not seek help for the child. The tot died soon after at a children’s hospital in Aurora.
A Weld District Court judge in April sentenced Chavez to serve eight years behind bars after a jury found her guilty of negligent child abuse resulting in the boy’s death.
Roberto Archuleta, Donovan’s father, faces charges in connection to his son’s death as well. He has a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 2.
Sandy Archuleta faces up to 48 years in prison and will be sentenced in January.
[Feature Photo: Weld County District Attorney’s Office]