The adoptive mother and her husband of a 5-year-old Pennsylvania boy were arrested and charged with his murder last week. The boy died in February, and doctors who examined him reported evidence of severe abuse and torture inflicted upon him. The arrests were made based on the distressing signs of mistreatment that were found during the investigation.
Lauren and Jacob Maloberti, of Delmont, were charged with criminal homicide in connection with the death of Landon Maloberti on February 7. The Westmoreland County District Attorney made the announcement of the charges last Thursday. Landon faced multiple episodes of abuse in his short life, officials said.
Torturing Parents
"Landon had blunt force trauma to his head and neck, blunt force trauma to his torso, and blunt force trauma to his extremities," Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said at a press conference announcing the charges.
Police became aware of the case after Landon was brought in an unconscious state to AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital in Greensburg by his adoptive parents on January 30.
Due to the seriousness of his injuries, Landon was transferred to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children's Hospital for specialized treatment. However, the child died a week later on February 7.
After conducting a thorough investigation into allegations of "severe child abuse," it was found that Landon was unable to stand, eat or drink at the hands of his adoptive family.
After the child's death, the parents launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his funeral expenses, but the campaign has since been taken down. The investigators disclosed that the campaign managed to collect over $5,000.
As per a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI-TV, a doctor at UPMC Children's Hospital stated that the 5-year-old experienced three brain bleeds, and his brain was severely damaged beyond recovery.
According to the complaint, Lauren and her husband, who is a 33-year-old corrections officer at Fayette State Correctional Center, delayed taking the boy to the hospital for a whole day. They informed medical professionals that the child was simply "wobbly from COVID a month prior" when they finally sought medical attention for him.
Complete Negligence
According to doctors, the infant had recent and ancient bruises as well as signs of trauma from "multiple episodes of physical abuse."
"His injuries caused substantial pain at the time they were inflicted, with impairment of function including inability to stand, inability to eat or drink and loss of consciousness," the complaint stated.
Landon's obituary described him as a child who loved playing with his toy monster trucks, singing country music with great enthusiasm, and relishing in his love for pickles. These were some of the things that brought joy to his life.
According to court documents, interviews, and text messages, Lauren, 34, displayed a strong and disturbing hatred toward the boy.
His five siblings reported that she would physically discipline him with her hand, a wooden spoon, or a spray bottle, causing him to cry while she grew angrier. The other children stated that their mother only targeted Landon for punishment, claiming it was because he didn't learn his lesson.
Former coworkers of Lauren mentioned that she "hated" her son and described him as "hard to love."
Text messages between Lauren and her husband from April 2022 until the boy's death were filled with disdain for him, as noted by investigators.
CBS-Pittsburgh reported that at one point, Lauren sent a text message stating that "she was going to kill him."
Delmont Police Chief TJ Klobucar stated that in his 25 years of service in the department, he had never encountered a case like this one before.
Lauren, the boy's mother, faces charges of first-degree murder, criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, two counts of aggravated assault of a child, and criminal conspiracy.
Her husband, Jacob, has been charged with the same offenses, except for first-degree murder.
Both have been denied bail and are currently in custody at Westmoreland County Prison. They are scheduled to appear in court again on August 8.
