Aurora police this week arrested a third person suspected in the beating death of a 4-year-old boy who officers found unresponsive and covered “from head to toe” with bruises at an apartment in May.
, 23, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death in the killing of Alexander Jose Sarmiento, who investigators say was severely beaten and “intentionally and maliciously” injured by his godfather — Moon’s boyfriend — while in Moon’s apartment.
Police arrested the godfather, Alexander Martinez-Armstrong, 24, on suspicion of first-degree murder in May. The boy’s mother, 23-year-old Destini Rose Lipsky, was also arrested on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death in May.
Lipsky told police she dropped her son off at Martinez-Armstrong’s “boot camp” because the boy had been lying to her, sneaking candy into his room and not listening to her, according to an arrest affidavit.
Martinez-Armstrong told police Lipsky gave him permission to “discipline” the boy using the same methods she did, including whipping him with a belt, spanking and forced exercise.
Martinez-Armstrong beat the 4-year-old dozens of times over the course of four days and forced him to do push-ups, planks and wall-sits even as he repeatedly fell on his face, according to an arrest affidavit.
Moon told investigators conflicting accounts of what happened, and at one point told police she heard screaming coming from the living room, according to an arrest affidavit.
She is in custody on a $100,000 bail. Moon’s next court date was not available Friday.
