A mother and her boyfriend were charged with murder Friday in the scalding death of 2-year-old Elijah Archuleta.
Isela Reyes-Talamantes, 23, and her boyfriend, John Vigil, 24, each have been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death, according to the office of Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.
Officers were called to St. Anthony Central Hospital at about 11 p.m. on Nov. 7 on a report of a child with severe burns. Elijah, who would have been 3 years old next month, was declared dead a few minutes later.
Reyes-Talamantes and Vigil are being held without bail at the Denver County Jail and are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday to be formally advised of the charges.
Reyes-Talamantes told police that she and Vigil fabricated a story to explain the injuries and waited hours before taking the child to the hospital Friday. Medical personnel estimated the boy
had burns over 75 percent of his body and said he had a black eye.
