“The death of a child is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic loss,” Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell said
Credit: Canton Police Department
NEED TO KNOW
- A Georgia mom, Devorah Diaz Perez, was arrested and charged after her boyfriend allegedly beat her 2-year-old son, leading to his death
- Police responded to reports of the unresponsive toddler on Aug. 3, after which they accused Perez’s live-in boyfriend of “severely beating him with his hands and other unknown objects”
- The boyfriend, Celso Edison Vicente Y Vicente, was arrested and charged with malice murder and cruelty to children in the first degree
A Georgia mom was arrested and charged after her boyfriend allegedly struck and “severely” beat her 2-year-old son, leading to his death.
On Monday, Aug. 3, the Canton Police Department responded to reports of an unresponsive 2-year-old at a residence in the 300 block of Cartersville Street around 11:29 a.m. local time, according to a press release.
The child was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In the following days, detectives interviewed Celso Edison Vicente Y Vicente, 22, who was identified as the live-in boyfriend of the child’s 18-year-old mother, Devorah Diaz Perez.
Credit: Canton Police Department
Around 7 p.m. on the day of the incident, Vicente Y Vicente was arrested and charged with malice murder and cruelty to children in the first degree, according to the release. He was transported to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, where he remains in custody.
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“The death of a child is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic loss,” Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell said at the time. “Our detectives have worked diligently to conduct a thorough and professional investigation. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of this case and allowing the judicial process to move forward.”
More than two weeks after the child’s death, his mother was also arrested after the Canton Police Detective Unit found probable cause for murder in the second degree, two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree and three counts of reckless conduct, according to a press release.
Diaz Perez was taken into custody and transported to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.
Credit: Canton Police Department/Facebook
According to local outlet 11 Alive, warrants for Vicente Y Vicente alleged that he was responsible for watching and caring for the toddler on the day of his death. He is accused of striking the child and “severely beating him with his hands and other unknown objects.”
The warrants indicated that the child’s body was covered in bruises, including one that resembled a shoe print, per the outlet. There was also allegedly a “fresh open laceration” on the top of the boy’s head.
“This remains an active criminal investigation,” police said in a press release. “Because this case involves a juvenile victim and pending criminal charges, no additional details regarding the evidence or circumstances surrounding the child’s death are being released at this time.”
An autopsy will be conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the child’s official cause and manner of death.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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