A Colorado mother is now facing serious charges tied to the death of her 4-year-old son after she allegedly left him in the care of a man she considered as close as a “brother” — a man accused of subjecting the child to “boot camp”-style punishment.
Aurora police announced Friday that 23-year-old Destini Rose Lipsky has been charged with child abuse resulting in death “following a continued investigation into the death of a 4-year-old boy in Aurora.”
As previously reported by Law&Crime, 24-year-old Alexander Martinez-Armstrong was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder after the boy died while in his care.
“Lipsky is the victim’s mother,” the statement said.
The arrest stems from an incident on Saturday, May 16, when patrol officers responded around 10 p.m. to an apartment in the 14100 block of East Tennessee Avenue after receiving a report about an unconscious child who was not breathing, according to a police news release. Officers arriving at the scene noticed the boy had suffered “significant injuries.”
Paramedics transported the child to a nearby hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by The Denver Post stated that medical staff were “shocked” by the severity of the child’s injuries, saying bruises covered him from “head to toe.” Investigators searching the apartment reportedly discovered a belt with a broken prong on the kitchen counter beside papers containing childlike handwriting, where the suspect had allegedly been forcing the boy to practice numbers.
According to the affidavit, the victim’s mother told investigators she deliberately left her son with Martinez-Armstrong for a “boot camp” intended to address “behavioral issues,” including lying to her repeatedly, sneaking into her purse, refusing to listen, and occasionally taking candy without permission.
The mother reportedly described the suspect as being “like a brother” to her and told investigators she gave him “full permission” to discipline the child using the same methods she commonly used herself, including belt whippings, spankings, push-ups, planks and wall sits, according to Denver NBC affiliate KUSA.
Authorities arrested Lipsky in El Paso County, about 80 miles south of Arapahoe County, where Martinez-Armstrong was taken into custody.
Police said in a Facebook post that Lipsky was being held at the El Paso County Jail on a $500,000 bond while awaiting transfer to Arapahoe County. Court records show she is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
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