Earlier this year, two Minnesota caretakers were arrested and charged with killing a 3-year-old child who was allegedly battered to death. Authorities said Monday that Rosa Esperanza Garza, 24, and Shiann Lynn Erickson, 22, were brought into jail on one count each of second-degree murder without intent in the killing of baby Eastyn James Deronjic.
A news statement from the Moorhead Police Department claims that on March 18, 2024, officers and emergency medical professionals responded to an apartment building in the 1500 block of Belsly Boulevard South in Moorhead about a 3-year-old child not breathing. The house lies around 230 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
Arriving, first responders saw the severely wounded child—later named Eastyn—and carried out life-saving treatments before moving him by ambulance to Sanford Hospital. Sadly, the boy passed away from his wounds soon after he got to the clinic.
Eastyn and his younger brother reportedly had been staying with Garza and Erickson in their Moorhead house for “an extended period.” Described as “acquaintances” of the children’s biological parents, Garza and Erickson were
His brother was taken from the house and placed into protective custody after Eastyn passed away.
Eastyn underwent an autopsy at the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, but officials were waiting for the findings of a toxicology screening so they did not disclose any information on the boy’s cause of death.
Police noted in a Monday news release, “The investigation has been continuous; autopsy findings were recently received.” “Warrays for the arrests were issued by the Clay County Attorney’s Office; both were arrested this morning without incident. The younger sister is still under protective custody.
Court records gathered by the Star Tribune offered more specifics regarding the events surrounding Eastyn’s death.
The postmortem report that authorities on June 28 got said the child’s method of death was a homicide and his gut was perforated by a blunt force injury. Apart from the fatal blow, Eastyn allegedly sustained 28 blunt-force injuries all over his body.
According to a witness, Erickson was sick and had to visit the hospital, so she went to the defendant’s house at roughly one in the morning to babysit Eastyn and his brother at Garza’s request. According to the witness, Eastyn seemed ill and was throwing anything he ate back up. He inquired of the witness for a drink of water. He started to vomit and cough before becoming blank.
According to authorities, the mother of the children claimed not to have seen her children in roughly two weeks. She claimed she thought Eastyn’s bruises came from his lack of coordination when she had seen them. She said the lad sounded unwell but good when she last spoke with him a few hours before his death.
According to Lawandcrime, Eastyn’s facial bruises started the day he passed away. They claimed he passed out after vomiting over the toilet and knocked his head. Garza further said that that day the youngster had fallen off his bike and skateboard.
Erickson allegedly testified that Garza had mistreated her in the past, but she had never seen Garza treat Eastyn violently. That assertion was undermined, though, when the couple turned their phones over to authorities.
Erickson was battling with Garza in a message from March 17, the day Eastyn suffered his fatal injuries, and wrote, “Ok have fun with your little b—-. Go to beat her child.
Erickson and Garza are both being housed at the Clay County Jail without bonds. Their first court calls are set for Tuesday.
