Residents of a quiet Lynwood apartment complex are reeling after the horrifying discovery of a seven-year-old boy’s body inside a freezer earlier this week. Many say they are struggling to understand how such a tragedy could unfold just steps from their homes.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department responded Tuesday night to a welfare check at an apartment on the 3100 block of Euclid Avenue. When they entered the home, investigators found the child dead. Authorities arrested the child’s mother, 25-year-old Destiny Harrison, on suspicion of murder.
The boy’s father, 25-year-old Daniel Monzon, and grandmother, 46-year-old Ana Zarceno-Carcamo, were also taken into custody and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Each is being held on $2 million bail. Three other children, ages 16, 13, and 9 months, were removed from the apartment and placed into protective custody.
Neighbors told KTLA they were stunned by the news, describing Harrison as a quiet woman who often kept to herself. “To me, she seemed like a normal person,” said one resident who declined to be identified. “The whole time she was here, she was walking her dog right here, and that’s about it.”
Several residents said they never heard any shouting or signs of trouble coming from the apartment. Christian Torres, who lives nearby, said the news left him shaken. “Once I found out it was a kid, I was literally driving home with my gut going crazy,” he said. “It hurts when you hear about these cases, but when you live them and they’re so close to you, it’s a whole different thing.”
Another neighbor, who identified herself only as Mia, said she was heartbroken to learn the child may have suffered. “That’s traumatizing to know that kid had to suffer like that,” she said. “A lot of people are trying to figure out what family did this… how did we not know? There are thousands of people living around here, and none of us heard a thing.”
Authorities have not yet released the boy’s name or confirmed how and when he died. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says the investigation remains ongoing. “This is an unimaginable and horrific tragedy,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.
“My heart breaks for what the other children in this home must have experienced.” Anyone with information is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or leave anonymous tips with Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or lacrimestoppers.org.