Stepmom Tortures 16-Year-Old Boy To Death, Dad Did Not Stop Her: Police

KEY POINTS

Officers were called to the home Tuesday about the unresponsive teen
Police said the boy was abused and tortured for the last four months
Five other children, between the age of 1 and 13, were also found inside the home

A 16-year-old boy was brutally abused, tortured, and killed by his stepmother while his father did nothing to stop her, said authorities.

The suspects are Jessica Grajeda and the boy's father George Luis Almaraz. Both were arrested Thursday from their home in Pomona, California.

Pomona Police Department said the boy's death was reported around noon Tuesday in the 600 block of Del Rosa Place, reports KTLA.

Emergency services were initially called to the residence, about a boy who needed CPR. However, on arrival, the first responders found the teen was not breathing. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The victim was identified as George Almaraz. While the reason for the teen's death has not been disclosed, police said there were signs that the boy was tortured at home by Grajeda for at least four months. The boy's father was well aware of the repeated abuse but did not prevent it or seek medical help for the teen, officers added.

Five other children were found inside the home between the ages of 1 and 13, police said. None of them appear to have been physically abused. However, they have all been taken into protective custody and turned over to the Department of Children and Family Services.

While Grajeda has been charged with torture, child abuse resulting in death, and three counts of child abuse by the Los Angeles County District Attorney, the father faces one count of felony child abuse.

The bail for Grajeda was set at $2 million and her arraignment was set for June 8. Almaraz was released on his recognizance with electronic monitoring. His arraignment is also scheduled for June 8.

Meanwhile, the murder of the boy has shocked the neighbors at the apartment complex.

"She's a monster. She's not a stepmother. You don't treat kids like this," neighbor Phillip Sayegh told ABC7. "He was 16 years old. He had a future ahead of him," Sayegh added.

Last year, a Colorado stepmother was charged with killing an 11-year-old boy. The police investigation revealed that Letecia Stauch attacked the child with a knife or other weapon while he was in bed, before dumping his body. She, however, denied involvement in the death.