TUCSON, Ariz.-- A Pima County jury delivered a guilty verdict Friday in the trial of Raquel Barreras, the mother who is accused of starving her three-year-old son to death and then putting his body into a toy box.
The jury found Barreras guilty on both counts of first degree murder and child abuse.
Prosecution emphasized that Barreras allegedly starved her son and allowed no one to play, talk, or feed the boy. The prosecution also alleged that Raquel was the architect of Roman's torture chamber, these circumstances leading to his death.
Defense rebutted these claims and accused the prosecution of finding an easy target in the drug addicted mother living in poverty. Barreras's attorney said she did feed her son and that he might have had cancer a the time of these allegations, leading to his weight loss.
Roman's father, Martin Barreras is scheduled to go on trial in August for First Degree Murder.
Barreras is scheduled to be sentenced July 22.
The boy's father Martin faces first degree murder when his trial starts in August.
