Moorhead couple accused of murder in 3-year-old boy’s beating death

Prosecutors on Monday charged a Moorhead couple with the murder of a 3-year-old boy who was beaten to death while in their care.

The charges filed in Clay County District Court accuse Rosa Esperanza Garza, 24, and Shiann Lynn Erickson, 22, of killing the boy in March. Investigators received the final autopsy report June 28 that states the homicide was caused by an assault, notably a blow that perforated the boy’s bowel. The report said the boy suffered 28 blunt force injuries.

Garza and Erickson were booked Monday at the Clay County jail in Moorhead and remain in custody. They are both charged with second-degree murder while committing felony child neglect and endangerment.

The victim, Eastyn James Deronjic, was outgoing and loved to play with his Nerf Guns, according to his obituary. Deronjic’s family marched 4 miles in June, from the crime scene to the police station, in hopes that charges would be filed in the boy’s suspicious death.

According to the criminal complaint:

Moorhead police and paramedics responded March 18 to an apartment on Belsly Boulevard after a 911 call about a boy not breathing came in around 1 a.m. Officers saw heavy bruising on Eastyn’s face and body. They attempted life-saving measures before taking him to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, where he died.

A woman told police that she arrived at the apartment shortly before 1 a.m. to watch Eastyn and his infant sister at the request of Garza, who goes by the first name Mason and uses he/him pronouns. Erickson is Garza’s girlfriend.

The woman was asked to watch the children because Erickson was sick and needed to go to the hospital. But the woman said Eastyn was also sick and had been throwing up and couldn’t keep any food down.

Eastyn asked the woman for water. He then started coughing and gagging and became unresponsive. The woman later told police that Erickson and Garza have tempers and she witnessed Garza slap and spank Eastyn.

At the hospital, detectives contacted several family members including the biological mother, Allandra Arechigo, who said she left her children in the care of Garza. She hadn’t seen her kids in two weeks and said at the time they seemed fine. But she said her son sometimes had bruising or injuries she believed were because he was “clumsy.”

Arechigo talked to Eastyn about six hours before he died. She learned he was sick, but again said that he sounded fine. Garza texted her to call him and said it was an emergency.

Garza told police at the hospital that Eastyn was rarely sick but the boy was vomiting throughout the day and would stand over the toilet vomiting to the point of almost passing out. He said Eastyn complained about his stomach hurting. They propped Eastyn up on a couch with a pillow to help his breathing.

Erickson suggested that Garza bring Eastyn to the hospital but Garza said he was fine. Erickson was also treated at the hospital for what doctors believed was an illness caused by marijuana use.

In separate interviews with police the next day, the couple elaborated on Eastyn’s deteriorating condition. Garza said the bruising on Eastyn’s face was caused by him passing out and hitting his head on the toilet while vomiting. He later said Eastyn also fell off his bike and skateboard.

Erickson told police that Garza had been abusive toward her in the past and would on occasion lose his temper with Eastyn. She said she would stand between Garza and Eastyn so he wouldn’t get hit. But she denied seeing Garza assault Eastyn in the days leading up to his death.

She and Garza gave their cellphones to detectives who found concerning text messages, some of which were deleted but recovered. Erickson texted Garza the afternoon of March 17: “Ok have fun with your little [expletive]. Go beat on her kid ...”