What did Veronica Aguilar do? Los Angeles woman sentenced to 25 years in prison over special needs son's death

Los Angeles mother, Veronica Aguilar, has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars in connection to her son's death. It has been revealed that the victim, her son, Yonatan Daniel Aguilar, was 11 years old and also a special needs child. Aguilar pleaded no contest to assault on a child causing death.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to the death of a child.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler described the case as extremely tragic. According to a detective who was assigned to the case, Veronica had described the victim as being "pure evil."

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Veronica Aguilar, a woman from Los Angeles, has been sentenced to over two decades of imprisonment for killing her 11-year-old son

The tragic discovery was made in 2016 when authorities responded to the 2200 block of West Sunset Avenue. They received a report of a suspicious death regarding a child. The child was later identified as Yonatan Daniel Aguilar. According to the child's stepfather, Aguilar told him that Yonatan was dead.

Now, 46-year-old Veronica Aguilar could have faced life imprisonment if she faced a trial and was then convicted by a jury. The sentencing was reduced to 25 years behind bars since she entered the plea. When the child was found dead, authorities mentioned that he looked malnourished. He also had sustained injuries due to physical abuse and had died for a few hours before he was found.

LA County Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott spoke after the hearing and said,

"[Yonatan was] an innocent child whose life was tragically and unjustly cut short by the years of neglect and abuse at the hands of his mother."

In 2019, a judge decided that there was not enough evidence to continue a trial concerning the case. Crimeonline reported that Aguilar told her husband that she had sent the victim to Mexico for better treatment.

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The victim allegedly was dehydrated and malnourished when found

Along with all the accusations and charges against Veronica Aguilar, she was also accused of locking the child inside the closet until he lost his life. In 2019, Angeles Police Det. Sandra Platero testified gave a testimony, saying,

"She described Yonatan to be pure evil."

Platero further testified that Veronica Aguilar "spoke very highly of her three older children." According to The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, the main cause of death was a deadly effect due to the combination of several drugs. Dehydration and constant neglect were also considered as reasons behind the child's death. DA Bott further stated:

"[The plea] represents a significant and appropriate outcome reflective of the gravity of the crime committed."

The Associated Press reported that Veronica admitted to giving medication to her son to calm him down. She would hide these actions from her husband. According to her husband, Veronica was frustrated with the 11-year-old boy, and he would often cry after not knowing what to do. The court records claimed that the victim had been sleeping in the closet for about three years.