QUARTZ HILL (CBSLA) — A 10-year-old boy who was allegedly tortured to death by his mother and her boyfriend will be laid to rest Friday. The service for Anthony Avalos begins at 9 a.m. with a rosary and viewing at the Saint Junipero Serra Parish Church, 12121 60th Street West in Quartz Hill, followed by a funeral service at 10 a.m. Anthony will be interred at the Good Shepherd Cemetery, 48121 70th Street West. A special dress code was requested by friends and family. “We would like if everyone can wear superhero shirts, in honor of Anthony,” a funeral notice from the family said. Anthony was found unresponsive in his mother’s home June 20. He died the next day. In court filings, prosecutors alleged Anthony was severely tortured during the last five or six days of his life and that his mother and her boyfriend “abused, beat, assaulted and tortured Anthony Avalos.” The alleged abuse included whipping the boy with a belt and a looped cord, pouring hot sauce on his face and mouth, holding him by his feet and dropping him on his head repeatedly. Anthony’s mother, Heather Barron, 28, and her boyfriend, Kareem Leiva, 32, have been charged with murder and torture in the boy’s death. A county official said earlier that the boy had come out as gay in the weeks before his death, and authorities were trying to determine if homophobia may have played a role in his death. (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
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Mourners For Boy Allegedly Tortured To Death Asked To Wear Superhero Shirts
