A mother faces prosecution on charges of murder and intentional mistreatment for letting her 4-year-old son die of malnutrition, Puerto Rico's Justice Department said Tuesday.
The mother, identified as Luz Dianne Gonzalez, faces charges for the death from malnutrition of her son Edgardo Edriel Gonzalez on Nov. 20, 2011, the department said in a press release.
Prosecutors filed charges under Article 106 of the 2004 Penal Code for first-degree murder and three more for intentional malnutrition under Article 75 of the 2003 Childhood Well-being and Comprehensive Protection Law.
According to an investigation by the Division of Sex Crimes and Mistreatment of Minors of the Puerto Rico Police Department, the boy did not weigh 7 kilos (15 pounds), which would be normal for an infant of only 18-20 months.
The hearing to which Gonzalez is summoned is scheduled for Nov. 15 at a San Juan court. EFE