Homicide Report > Jacob Gaona, 1 [Updated]
Jacob Gaona, 1 [Updated]
Died April 1, 2010 at 7:50 p.m.
Jacob Gaona, a 1-year-old Latino, died Thursday, April 1, in the 300 block of South Rampart Boulevard in Westlake, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.
Authorities said on Thursday night Jacob's mother left him in the bathtub to grab a towel. When she returned, she found him submerged and not breathing, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
The woman said she had been gone for a couple of minutes. She had left the boy with an older brother but realized that he had also gotten out of the tub.
After discovering Jacob, the woman took him to another room and called for help. When rescuers arrived at the home, they tried to revive the child, the department said.
Jacob was taken to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, where he was pronounced dead.
In the initial coroner's report, Jacob's death was listed as a homicide citing evidence that he was found lying in an empty bathtub. It also said the mother provided inconsistent statements regarding the events on the night of the child's death.
According to an official from the coroner's office, as of April 2, a final determination in Jacob's case has been deferred while coroner's investigators perform additional tests to figure out his cause of death.
[Updated Feb. 28, 2011: Coroner's officials said Jacob was left unattended in the bathtub and drowned. Due to neglect by the parent, his death was ruled a homicide. His mother, Nancy Jacinto, a 20-year-old Latina, was charged with one count of murder and two counts of child abuse, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. She is scheduled for a pretrial conference March 11 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.]
—Robert J. Lopez and Sarah Ardalani
- Neighborhood: Westlake
- Age: 1
- Gender: Male
- Cause: Other
- Day of the week: Thursday
- Agency: LAPD Abused Child Unit
- Race/Ethnicity: Latino
- Circumstance: Domestic violence
- Crime scene: Residence
25 reader comments about Jacob Gaona
Horrible! Does anyone know anything?
April 6, 2010 at 12:16 p.m.
Another baby taken away by one of the parents. PEOPLE PLEASE if you are having a hard time dealing with being a parent- just take the baby to the fire station or the nearest hospital. No one will judge you or call you a bad mother-it would be the most loving thing that you could do for the child. Let's not let this happen again. If you know any parent that looks to be stressed or having some problems just let them know that they are loved and that you are there for them-give them a break from the child by baby-sitting, even if for just an hour. Let's stop this from happening again. My condolences to the family that is hurt by Jacob's death.
April 7, 2010 at 6:26 a.m.
Wow that is horrible. But you really cant take your eyess off ur kids for one second, one second is enough for a tragedy to happen. God bless the family.
April 7, 2010 at 3:09 p.m.
Sad. That's really scary because I always make sure I have everything before giving my little one(11 months old) a bath. I still check on my 3 year old when he bathes by himself.
April 8, 2010 at 5:25 a.m.
Oh god this is Horrible i hope god blesses the family for what happen i love kids and i dont wish that for no one.
April 8, 2010 at 3:53 p.m.
awww. so sorry 2 hear that.. rest in peace
April 8, 2010 at 8:19 p.m.
You have to have a license to have a car,gun, boat, ect. But u dont need one to have babys????
April 9, 2010 at 11:46 a.m.
My son is a survivor of a drowning one 4th of July. Several kids in the county drowned that day my son's life was the only one spared. I held my kid blue and with no pulse it hurts to remember the pain I felt from that moment till he was revived with cpr, my child was dead. I know the pain. I'ts the worst thing to experience. Miracles and death aline sometime.
April 12, 2010 at 3:32 p.m.
WHY DONT YURI AND SYSCOM GO JOIN THE POLICE FORCE????
April 14, 2010 at 12:47 p.m.
go away, why? The greatest thing the LA Times has done in a long time, is to allow these blogs and commentary for the newstorys (Thanks Mrs. Garvey).
April 14, 2010 at 2:32 p.m.
NOT going to happen! NO punk gangsters or naive persons is going to intimidate people that really care. You should use that energy to eliminate the scum in your neighborhoods!
April 14, 2010 at 3:48 p.m.
Really sad and preventable. You don't take a breather when kids are in the tub, understood? I thought it was.
So very tragic for baby Jacob and siblings, they've lost a brother and playmate.
April 15, 2010 at 11:35 a.m.
Jacob you will be missed.now your in better hands
April 21, 2010 at 9:28 p.m.
Is so sad to heard that.I feel so sad for the grandparents there good people.very sad got bless the family
April 23, 2010 at 6:48 p.m.
This is very sad.... Although this happened to baby Jacob, it's not to late to not let this precious life have ended in vein... People it only takes a very small amount of water for a person to drown and even less for a baby!.
April 28, 2010 at 1:16 p.m.
Very sad to heard the jacinto family there very nice people..god bless this family is so sad good luck to nancy i hope u learn your lesson and be more thankful for having your parents
April 30, 2010 at 10:16 p.m.
I till cant stop thing of this is so sad.i wish you nancy good luck and i hope god helps you get out of this one.ill be praying for you. :(
May 30, 2010 at 8:42 p.m.
Nancy the killer? Prior to this were the kids taken care of?
May 31, 2010 at 5:23 p.m.
is no one reading the story...he didn't drown in the bathtub, it says he was in an empty tub...in other words something else was done to cause his death! hmmmm
June 2, 2010 at 12:22 p.m.
cant believe this happen to my girl nancy i had no idea this was happening.something in my heart told me something was wrong..cant believe god took that little angel back to heaven..everyone that knew that little guy is going to miss him..RIP baby jacob i pray for you as you smile down on your sister and brother...
July 6, 2010 at 2:42 a.m.
Wow, Nancy!!! Wuut happen.. I always new she was a lokota but to her own baby... I really wish it was'nt true but reality bites. I say drug test her crack can make u do stupid things.... Also interview her older brother his no good i think his got's mental problems or some thing the way he treats girls is "no bueno" RIP LIL ONE!
Nov. 8, 2010 at 10:07 a.m.
free lil one
Nov. 8, 2010 at 10:45 a.m.
Nancy is now in prison she was charged with the murder of her son. Sentenced 15 to life. She was proven guilty. She also gave birth to her 4th child in la county jail.
March 28, 2012 at 8:41 p.m.
15 years is a pretty steep penalty considering it was neglect.
March 30, 2012 at 10:14 a.m.
=[ i wish it would of been a different situation but to me nanci is innocent it was just a mistake for her to have done Wat she did i miss u nanci =] i wish ur mom dad and brother the best i know its a hard time for them ... r.i.p.
April 3, 2012 at 10:07 a.m.
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