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A Kearns mother is accused of murdering her son.
Adrianna Lucero, 17, had claimed her 2-year-old son went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on Aug. 24 at their home. But court documents reveal investigators suspect something sinister.
Dr. Todd Grey, the chief medical examiner for the state of Utah, believes the toddler, Alejandro Gabriel Lucero, died of a severe spinal cord injury. He said the injury was likely "a severe, bending force which bent the child's lumbar spine backwards and that would have taken some time to inflict, during which A.L. would have been screaming the entire time."
The charging document shows the child also suffered a rib fracture. Dr. Grey said it was an older injury. He indicated the injury would have been inflicted, not an accidental injury, consistent with child abuse.
Adrianna Lucero now is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse. Her 26-year-old boyfriend, Sergio Martinez-Gonzalez, has been charged with obstruction of justice.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
