Father Accused of Killing Son Was Charged With Child Abuse in 1996

The man accused of beating his 5-year-old son to death and burying the boy in a shallow forest grave had been charged with child abuse involving a daughter in 1996, according to police and court records.

Marcos Esquivel Barrera, 34, of Pacoima was charged Wednesday with murdering his son, 5-year-old Ernesto Barragon, whose body was found in Angeles National Forest. The victim’s aunt, Maria Ricardo Esquivel, was charged Wednesday as an accessory to murder.

The boy had been beaten to death, probably by bare hands, and the body showed evidence--although it was inconclusive--of repeated physical abuse, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

LAPD Det. Fred Hascher said that in the 1996 case it appears that Esquivel--the girl’s mother--was the intended victim and that the girl was hurt when she got in the way. Both child and spousal abuse charges were filed at the time by the city attorney’s office, but Barrera fled prosecution and the charges were never resolved.

Detectives said they can find no evidence that the case was reported to child welfare workers. Hascher said that in instances where the child was not the target of abuse, police would not necessarily involve the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

However, county authorities said it is “protocol” for law enforcement officials to report incidents of child abuse to county child welfare workers.

In the 1996 case, Barrera allegedly attacked Esquivel--his current co-defendant in the murder case--and his then-10-year-old daughter, Luz Esquivel. The girl and eight other children were taken from their parents this week and are now in protective custody.

Lara Bloomquist, head of the city attorney’s domestic violence unit, said Barrera appeared in court the first day of trial in September 1996 but never returned. Records indicate that the judge declared a mistrial and issued a bench warrant, but Barrera was never taken into custody.

Barrera, who had previously identified himself to authorities as Marco Esquivel Barragon, was charged Wednesday with murdering, assaulting, abusing and endangering the life of his 5-year-old son. The abuse and endangerment allegedly occurred over a three-year period that began in March 1995.

The boy’s aunt--who had previously told authorities that her name was Juana Barrera but identified herself in court Wednesday as Esquivel--is accused of being an accessory to murder and of abusing the boy during the same three years.

Deputy Dist. Atty. David Mintz declined to discuss details of the alleged mistreatment, saying only that “there was at least one act of child abuse during that time.”

A coroner’s report indicates that deep bruises on the boy’s torso could have been the product of beatings over time. However, officials said the evidence was not conclusive.

“We are unable to determine if these are old or fresh injuries,” said Scott Carrier, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. He said Ernesto suffered multiple blows to the body, most likely inflicted by a bare hand because the skin was not broken. The official cause of his death was “multiple traumatic injuries.”

The boy apparently was part of an extended family in which his father sired children born to both his mother and aunt. Seven of the children apparently lived with his mother, Petra Barrera, who has not been charged in the case. Another six lived with Esquivel.

Barrera was being held in lieu of $1- million bond Wednesday. Esquivel was in custody on $500,000 bond.