Warrant: Stamford mom helped bury son and lied about her kidnapping
STAMFORD — A mother who led police to her son’s body buried in Cummings Park lied about being kidnapped, kept the 2-year-old boy’s death a secret for days and helped dispose of his remains, according to her arrest warrant that was unsealed Friday.
During a forensic interview with investigators, the woman’s 7-year-old son said he was playing with the toddler around Christmas Day when he pushed the boy, who fell and hit his head, the warrant said. The 7-year-old said his brother died after no one called for help or took him to the doctor, the warrant said.
However, it’s unclear if Stamford police believe that’s how Liam Rivera died.
“I can’t comment, there is an ongoing investigation and it involves a lot of moving parts,” Stamford Deputy Police Chief Richard Conklin said Friday when asked if the 7-year-old was accidentally responsible for the death.
While the circumstances around the death remain unclear, police have determined the children’s mother, Iris Rivera-Santos, 29, lied about her involvement and about being held captive at gunpoint, the warrant shows.
Rivera-Santos was charged Feb. 3 with risk of injury to a minor, hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence and cruelty to persons. She is being held on $1 million bond.
Stamford police said they were notified about the boy’s death on Jan. 2 when Rivera-Santos claimed she escaped Edgar
IsmalejGomez, 26, who she said held her at gunpoint for days after he killed their son.
Stamford police said they apprehended Ismalej-Gomez in Stamford on Jan. 3 as he was getting into a cab headed for New York. Ismalej-Gomez was taken into custody on a probation violation and is expected to face more charges. He has not been charged in the boy’s homicide and remains in the custody of the state Department of Correction on $3 million bond.
He was prohibited from having contact with the 2year-old after pleading guilty last year to breaking the toddler’s arm in 2021, authorities said.
But phone records showed Rivera-Santos allowed him to rejoin the family in the months before the boy died, the warrant for her arrest said.
However, the phone records also indicated Ismalej-Gomez may not have been at the Belltown Road basement apartment when the 2-year-old suffered the fatal blunt-impact injury to the head, the warrant stated.
Rivera-Santos had told police she saw Ismalej-Gomez strike the child several times on Dec. 28 until the toddler was quiet, the warrant stated. She also told police Ismalej-Gomez refused to her allow her to check on the boy and sat next to her the entire night, the warrant stated.
She said Ismalej-Gomez told her not to call an ambulance when they found the boy not breathing the next morning because he said the child was already dead, the warrant stated.
Rivera-Santos also told investigators that IsmalejGomez held her at gunpoint for days as they drove to and from Virginia and prevented her from using her phone, the warrant stated.
However, police said video footage showed they remained in the Stamford area and phone records indicated Rivera-Santos sent numerous messages to Ismalej-Gomez, family and friends in the days after her son died, the warrant stated.
Police said video footage also showed Rivera-Santos helping Ismalej-Gomez bury the boy’s body in Cummings Park, the warrant stated.
“This further contradicts Rivera’s statements that she was held against her will and was forced to travel to Cummings Park with Ismalej,” police said in the warrant. “Rather, Rivera appeared to be a willing participant.”
The warrant for RiveraGomez’s arrest included a series of messages between her and Ismalej-Gomez that showed he was not home when she claimed he killed their son.
“These messages have been provided in their original form as well as translated because they occur during the period in which Rivera originally reported that Ismalej killed the victim,” police wrote in the warrant. “These conversations show that Ismalej was not home during the originally reported time of death.”