Parent, grandmother of young boy found dead in freezer plead not guilty

LOS ANGELES - The mother and grandmother of a young boy who was found dead inside a freezer in a Lynwood apartment pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder, torture and child abuse charges.

What we know:

The boy's mother, Destiny Luckie Harrison, 25, and grandmother, Ana Carcamo Zarceno, 45, both entered their pleas in a Compton courtroom Thursday morning.

They are both due back in court Jan. 20, when a date will be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for them to stand trial.

The boy's father, Daniel Alberto Monzon, 25, is facing the same charges and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

The defendants remain jailed in lieu of $2 million each and have been ordered not to have any contact with three other children who lived in the house.

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• Lynwood parents, grandmother charged with murder after boy found dead in freezer
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Harrison, Monzon and Zarceno are all charged with murder, torture and child abuse resulting in death, with an allegation of willful harm resulting in death. Monzon and Zarceno are also charged with being an accessory after the fact.

If convicted as charged, they each face 32 years to life in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Body of boy discovered 

The backstory:

The boy's body was discovered on Oct. 28 when sheriff's deputies responded to the apartment in the 3100 block of Euclid Avenue to conduct a welfare check requested by an unidentified resident who went to the sheriff's station.

The boy, who prosecutors say was believed to be 8-years-old, was pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear how the child, identified by prosecutors only as Isaiah H., died. Originally believed he was 7-years-old.

7-year-old found dead in Lynwood apartment

A 25-year-old woman was arrested for murder after her 7-year-old son was found dead inside the family's apartment.

The criminal complaint alleged that the boy was tortured on or between April 1, 2024 and Oct. 24, and that the boy was abused and murdered on or between Oct. 23 and Oct. 24. The boy died early Oct. 24 as a result of his injuries, and was found days later "in a cooler filled with ice," according to the District Attorney's Office.

Authorities detained the boy's mother, father and grandmother at the scene, where the three additional children were also found. Those children, since described as being 16-years-old, 14-years-old and nine-months-old, were taken into protective custody by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Callers who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.