A Gwinnett County mother and her boyfriend were both sentenced to 15 years in prison for abusing and causing the death of her baby more than five years ago, prosecutors announced Monday.
Dennisa Mary Vega and Jahlin Javante Corey, both 33, were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and battery in the 2019 death of 10-month-old Amir Vega, who was found with a fractured skull, broken ribs and bruising over parts of his body, according to the Gwinnett district attorney’s office.
“This is the verdict the jury rendered after assessing the evidence in the case. We hope that this sends a message that children must be cared for and not abused in our community,” Gwinnett DA Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement.
As part of their sentences, the couple are also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 12, including their own kids, prosecutors said.
On Sept. 2, 2019, medical officials were called to an apartment in the 1400 block of Beaver Ruin Road in Norcross, where Vega lived with Corey and her three children, according to Gwinnett police. After someone reported that a baby was having breathing problems, officials found Amir Vega unresponsive and “breathing only six breaths a minute,” the DA’s office said.
The boy was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and died a short time later, according to police and prosecutors.
An autopsy determined that Amir Vega had a fractured skull, broken ribs, as well as lacerations to his tongue, the inside of his mouth and to his small intestine, the DA’s office said. His arms and abdomen were also bruised, according to prosecutors.
Officers then confronted Corey and Vega-Rivera with the autopsy results. They were arrested after police said their explanation about what happened was “inconsistent with the findings.”
During the trial that started last week, Gwinnett medical examiner Dr. Carol Terry testified that the baby’s injuries happened “several days before his death and were indicative of abuse,” the DA’s office said.
Corey, who was charged with murder at the time of his arrest, was found guilty of one count each of involuntary manslaughter and battery and two counts of aggravated battery, according to prosecutors. Vega was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of battery and one count of second-degree cruelty to children, officials said. They were sentenced soon after.
“This 10-month-old infant, Amir Vega, died as a result of these defendants’ crimes,” Austin-Gatson said. “He will never grow into an adult.”
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