A grandmother has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the drowning death of her 10-year-old grandson who had cerebral palsy.
Onesia Ann Najera, 52, appeared in Jefferson County District Court on Tuesday and received the maximum sentence in the case, according to the district attorney’s office.
She pleaded guilty Oct. 14 to child abuse resulting in death, a felony, in the drowning of Angel Goodwin.
Wheat Ridge police on May 5, 2015, were called to Najera’s home, where they found Angel, who had been .
Angel lived with Najera, who was his legal guardian. Angel had cerebral palsy and limited cognitive abilities. He functioned at the level of a toddler, according to the DA’s office. He was unable to stand on his own but could sit and “scoot” along the floor.
Najera had custody of Angel and three other grandchildren. Najera used drugs and worked as a prostitute, sometimes leaving the children alone for days at a time, prosecutors said.
“This is a heartbreaking case. Ms. Najera cared about Angel,” District Attorney Pete Weir said in a news release. “But, considering her lifestyle of drug use and prostitution, his death was somewhat inevitable. The 10-year pattern of decline in his care led to the death of this child, who needed love and attention.”
The day Angel drowned, Najera had taken a pill and passed out. Neighbors who live below Najera’s apartment said they heard banging and thumping in the bathtub for about three hours. One neighbor went to the door and knocked, but no one answered.
Najera was sentenced by District Judge Tammy Russell.
