Louisiana Couple Charged With Negligence in Death of 7-Year-Old Quadriplegic Boy

A Louisiana woman and her boyfriend have been charged in connection with the death of her quadriplegic 7-year-old son who died after they left him home alone for hours.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office charged Karla Padilla Pavon, 22, and Hovet Vela Espinoza, 48, with negligent homicide, NOLA.com reported.

The boy, Cristian Rodriguez Padilla, had cerebral palsy, the coroner’s office said, and died from natural causes related to his condition.

“He was special needs and required continuous superivision, Sgt. Brandon Veal told NOLA.com.

Padilla and Vela left him alone for at least three hours on Saturday and returned home to find him unresponsive, Veal said. The couple called for help shortly before 9 p.m., but apparently they delayed that call for an unspecified amount of time, he said.

Padilla was being held on a $200,000 bond, while Vela was being held without bond.

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[Featured image: Karla Padilla Pavon and Hovet Vela Espinoza/Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office]