Mother Of 11-Year-Old Echo Park Boy Arrested In Connection With His Death

ECHO PARK (CBSLA.com) — The mother of an 11-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday in connection with her son's death.

Police said Jose Pinzon called 911 at 2:15 Monday afternoon and reported that he had just received a call from his 39-year-old wife, Veronica Aguilar, who told him that his stepson was dead.

Capt. Julian Melendez of the Los Angeles Police Department described what police found when they arrived at a house on Santa Ynez Street in Echo Park.

"The condition that they found him in was wrapped up in a blanket in the closet of the home, and he looked like he had been suffering from malnutrition and physical abuse," Melendez explained.

Police said the child had been dead for a few hours. They confirmed the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services received reports of possible abuse or neglect involving the boy at least three times between 2009 and 2012. But no case was filed.

Neighbors told CBS2/KCAL9's Randy Paige that the family moved in two or three months ago and was not well known in the community.

Investigators said they will canvass the neighborhood as well as other locations the family has recently lived to piece together the events that led up to the boy's death.

Investigators are now looking for the boy's biological father.