MOM GETS 18 YEARS FOR ABUSING SON
VALPARAISO — The Valparaiso woman who disciplined her 4-year-old son with beatings, cigarette burns and deprived him of sleep, food, water and clothing received an 18-year sentence Tuesday.
Porter Superior Judge Mary Harper sentenced Elizabeth Ann Lozano, 25, to the 14 years in prison and four years on probation.
Harper went through photos taken of the boy after social workers rescued him during a Lake County hearing.
Harper listed almost every part of his body and the injuries to each.
She said she doubted that injuries to his ear were caused by falling downstairs at the home of baby sitter Angela Terrell, 44.
Harper had sentenced Terrell to six years in prison on June 29 for an April 19 plea to two Class D felonies, neglect of a dependent and battery to a child under 14. Terrell testified against Lozano.
“There is much in the file. The court has considered all of it,” Harper said. “These pictures of the child before me, they speak of such a tragedy for the child.”
When the abuse was finally discovered by the Lake County court-appointed Special Advocate on Oct. 23, 2013, the boy was dying from bleeding on the brain and ended up on a ventilator and having brain surgery.
The abuse took place during September and October 2013, after Lozano left her husband and met Terrell.
The victim’s brother, 2 at the time, and sister, who was 5, didn’t appear to be abused.
Lozano admitted Tuesday in a statement that she was “a horrible excuse for a mother and an awful excuse for a person” and abused drugs and alcohol at the time.
She was scared of getting in trouble and of Terrell.
“Had I not been getting high, I would not have been around Angela Terrell,” she said.
The defense portrayed Lozano as manipulated by Terrell and defense attorney said not to punish Lozano for what Terrell did but for allowing it to happen.
Lozano pleaded to Class B felony neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, and the prosecution dropped a Class B felony battery causing serious injury to a victim less than 14 years old.
Lozano could have served up to 20 years on each charge.