A Michigan mother, Sierra Pearl Zaitona, was sentenced to 24-50 years in prison on charges of second-degree murder for the 2023 starvation death of her two-year-old son. According to court records and a statement obtained by Audacy, Zaitona, 29, pleaded no contest in February. She was sentenced on Wednesaday last week. In addition to the murder sentence, she will serve 43 months to 10 years for second-degree child abuse, with the sentences to run concurrently.
Macomb County Prosecutor's Office disclosed that Zaitona will also be entered on Michigan’s Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect, as mandated by Wyatt's Law. Her attorney, Marissa Kulcsar from a County Public Defender's office, expressed Zaitona's remorse in an email to the Detroit Free Press, stating, "Ms. Zaitona deeply regrets the tragic loss of her son and mourns him every day. She endured a severe and prolonged domestic violence situation, which tragically delayed her ability to secure safety for herself and her children. Ms. Zaitona has fully accepted responsibility for her role in these events and is prepared to serve the sentence imposed by the court."
The boy's father, Jonathon Matthew Cheek, received a similar sentence in December after pleading no contest to the same charges. He will serve 24 to 50 years for second-degree murder and 86 months to 10 years for the child abuse charge in connection with the child's death.
The child was found dead in his crib on March 16, 2023. Prosecutors allege that the cause of the child's death was fatal starvation. "This is a heartbreaking and profoundly sad case. A two-year-old child, full of potential and deserving of love and care, was failed in the most devastating way. No sentence can bring back this innocent life, but hopefully, the family can begin to heal," Prosecutor Pete Lucido stated in an interview by CBS Detroit.
Both parents had previously been credited for the time served in Macomb County Jail, with Zaitona having spent 754 days and Cheek serving time in jail before their sentencing.
