Man pleads guilty to manslaughter in Signal Hill 2-year-old's death

A 24-year-old man pleaded guilty Sept. 12 to abusing his girlfriend and her two young children, leading to a toddler’s death, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Samuel Aguilar pleaded guilty to seven felony counts including one count of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Josue Rey Maldonado, 2, as well as two counts of child abuse, and three counts of dissuading a witness for reporting a crime. 

Aguilar’s girlfriend and the children’s mother, Jessica Rey Cereceres, 26, pleaded no contest to two counts of child abuse. She was sentenced on May 4 to five years and four months in state prison. 

Prosecutors said Aguilar and Cereceres lived together with her two small children. At the time of the incident, the boys were 1 and 2. 

On Aug. 10, 2014, Maldonado was taken to a hospital with trauma to his body and was later pronounced dead, prosecutors said. Investigators discovered that the boy’s 1-year-old brother had injuries to his body, according to evidence presented at trial. 

After a year-long examination of reports and evidence, investigators determined that Maldonado died of blunt force trauma to the stomach and head, according to coroner’s records. 

Prosecutors said the injuries occurred while the toddler was in Aguilar’s care and after a fight with Cereceres. 

Witnesses also said they saw Aguilar abuse the two boys in front of Cereceres and she would do nothing, prosecutors added. 

Aguilar is scheduled to return to court Sept. 21 for sentencing.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.