AN EVIL best friend is said to have admitted to deliberately kicking and stomping her pal’s five-year-old son to death.
Julia Lee Carter, 21, admitted to killing little Mateo Tuberquia at their home in Mitchell, South Dakota on Monday, according to reports.
The youngster was taken by Carter to a local emergency room at the Queen of Peace Hospital in an unresponsive state on Monday but medics were unable to save his life, the Mitchell Police Department said in a statement.
Carter is said to have admitted kicking Mateo in the stomach five times and then stomping on his abdomen, during a police interview.
The results of an autopsy on the little boy later revealed he suffered from blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Carter is believed to have been living with Mateo and his father Sergio, but she was not the boy’s mum.
The exact nature of her relationship with Sergio Tuberquia is not yet clear.
The motive for the killing has also not yet been explained.
Carter is facing a first-degree manslaughter charge and abuse or cruelty to a minor, cops announced Wednesday.
An obituary posted online described Mateo as “a loving boy”.
It continued: “He enjoyed going for walks and playing at parks.
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“Mateo loved fishing with his father, loved being with his sisters and dancing, and watching Scooby-Doo and Pokémon.
“His favorite superhero was Spiderman, and he enjoyed playing Spiderman on his father’s PS4.
“Mateo was his sisters’ guardian, and will continue to be their guardian.”
