Hannibal Oceja: Couple whose 5-month-old son weighed only 6 pounds when he died plead guilty to murder
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: In a shocking incident in Las Vegas, a five-month-old infant was starved and killed by his parents at their family home. The couple pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse.
It is expected that the parents were sentenced to up to 10 to 25 years in prison for causing substantial bodily or mental harm to their son Hannibal Oceja.
Couple also share two more children
The ruling came for the incident that took place in February 2018, came on January 25, sending Loreana Martinez and Anthony Oceja to jail.
Anthony, after being sentenced, said to Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones, “I went to trial to prove innocence. You know, I love my kids. I miss my son every day. I mourn his death. I celebrate his birthday. No matter what they say. I love my son.”
Diana Jackson, Anthony's sister, joined the hearing via video call and informed that she had adopted the other two children of the couple, as per Daily Mail.
“The children today are happy and full of life from love and they would like to see him one day just as much as the rest of us in a world where we could heal together as a whole. We have suffered enough and we just want to be able to heal with him one day outside of jailhouse walls,” she said.
How did Hannibal Oceja die?
Hannibal suffered from cardiac arrest and died at their family home. Doctors later found that Hannibal weighed less than when he was born, only six pounds, seven ounces. According to medical data, a healthy baby his age is expected to weigh between 18 and 20 pounds.
The arrest report stated the paramedics' shocking reaction on finding the baby, he was so thin that his 'bones could easily be seen, his spinal cord appeared as if it was about to poke out of his skin and his rib cage could easily be seen.”
When pictures of the infant's ribs and arms were shown at Anthony's trial, one juror exclaimed, 'Oh my God.' A doctor told the jury that Hannibal was dehydrated to the extent that they couldn’t put an IV in his vein. Instead, they injected into his bones rather than his muscles.
