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SALT LAKE CITY — A woman convicted of killing her young son when she was 17 is seeking parole after being incarcerated for 15 years.
Alejandro Gabriel Lucero, who was a month away from turning 2, died Aug. 24, 2008, after his spinal cord was snapped and his aorta ruptured. During an autopsy, an older rib fracture injury was also discovered.
The boy's mother, Adrianna Lucero was charged with murder and child abuse. Her 26-year-old boyfriend, Sergio Martinez-Gonzalez, was charged with obstruction of justice. In 2009, Lucero was convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for murder and a term of one to 15 years for child abuse. Martinez-Gonzalez's case, however, was dismissed several months after he was charged, according to court records.
Lucero maintained throughout her trial that she did not kill her son, but rather it was Martinez-Gonzalez, who is not Alejandro's father but is the father of Lucero's two other twin children. After being found guilty, she took her appeal all the way to the Utah Supreme Court. But the state's high court upheld the conviction.
On Tuesday, Lucero, now 32, went before the the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole for the first time. The sentence for her child abuse conviction has expired. Her parole hearing for the murder conviction was originally scheduled for 2038, but due to recent rule changes regarding people sent to prison for crimes committed when they were still in their teens, the hearing was moved up.
Lucero explained to board member Greg Johnson that at the time of her son's death, she was very isolated from her family and friends, dealing with depression and low self-esteem, and was very dependent on her boyfriend, whom she wanted to take a more active role in the lives of her three children.
The pre-sentence report for Lucero's case outlined the severe injuries Alejandro suffered that resulted in his death. When Johnson asked if the report was accurate, Lucero responded, "Yes."
When asked to recount what happened on the day Alejandro died, Lucero fought back tears as she said she was at Martinez-Gonzalez's home in Kearns trying to "resolve our issues."
"I regret that day wholeheartedly, because I didn't listen to my family when they told me not to go to his house any more," she said.
However, Lucero seemed to maintain she did not directly cause the death of her son, saying she was "negligent" to allow anything to happen to Alejandro.
"It's my fault that Alejandro is gone. I take full responsibility for that. It's undeniable that I am guilty in contributing to his death. It took me not long after to realize that I was co-dependent (on Martinez-Gonzalez) and take accountability for my actions. And I'm truly, truly sorry to my family," she said. "He sustained an injury that I can't even wrap my head around. … I replay it every day in my head. He suffered an injury that caused his life.
"I initially lied for Sergio, and I told them that I was responsible for his injuries and his death. And I was negligent to allow anything to happen to Alejandro," Lucero added.
Lucero said Martinez-Gonzalez did not ask her to lie for him, it was just what she had been doing instinctively for a while.
Despite some early write-ups after arriving at the Utah State Prison, Johnson noted it has been several years since any disciplinary action had been taken against Lucero, she has completed many courses while in prison and her latest at-risk score for reoffending is low. She says she has taken advantage of the programs the prison has offered.
"The best way for me to show remorse … in any way is to take action," she said. "I couldn't ask for forgiveness. I couldn't expect anyone to forgive me. I just had to take action and show them, and that I am sorry. And I'm willing to do this to show them.
"I've learned from those earlier incidents and let go of that mindset of feeling like I can get away with it. I've held myself accountable," she continued.
When asked if she had any final comments, Lucero told Johnson, "Just want to reiterate how sorry I am for my responsibility and I'm sorry to my family. … I wish I could have made better choices."
The full five-member board will now vote whether to grant parole. A decision is expected to take several weeks.
