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Appeals court upholds child abuse conviction

By: Associated Press//February 8, 2012//

Appeals court upholds child abuse conviction

By: Associated Press//February 8, 2012//

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A state appeals court has ruled a jury properly convicted a Kenosha woman of forcing her young son to take a cold shower that killed him.

Multiple experts testified that Abelina Zalazar’s 8-year-old son, Uriel, died of hypothermia after Zalazar forced him to take a freezing shower as punishment for hitting his brother in February 2008.

A jury convicted Zalazar of first-degree reckless homicide in December 2009. She argued on appeal there wasn’t enough evidence to convict her.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals said she didn’t call for medical assistance for two hours even though the boy was turning white and couldn’t speak. The court noted she was afraid police would discover signs of other abuse she had inflicted on the boy.

Zalazar’s attorney didn’t immediately return a message.

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