A Salt Lake City woman is accused of chasing an 11-year-old boy through a home while holding a kitchen knife over her head, after first trying to burn his face with a hot pan. Alisha Ann Lucero, 43, was charged this week with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony, in connection with the alleged 2024 attack.
According to court documents, Lucero was charged in 3rd District Court, as first reported by KSL. Lucero is listed in those documents as transient and is the mother of the reporting man's children. The man told investigators that Lucero attacked the boy at his residence in 2024, setting off the chain of events detailed in the charges.
Boy Says He Ran, Believing He Would Be Killed
Charging documents describe Lucero becoming angry when the boy came home from school, then holding a hot pan close to his face. The boy backed away and repeatedly asked her to stop before running from her, the documents state. Lucero allegedly chased him while holding a small red kitchen knife over her head, thrusting it downward in a stabbing motion.
The boy was pushed onto a bed, where Lucero again attempted to stab him, according to the charges. He told investigators he believed Lucero was trying to kill him and was frightened during the encounter. The boy also reported that Lucero had been violent toward him on multiple previous occasions.
Pattern of Alleged Abuse Described in Charges
Beyond the knife and pan incident, the boy said Lucero had hit him with a belt, struck him in the head hard enough to cause headaches, and left bruises from other blows, per the charging documents. He also said she threw objects and called him derogatory names while using profanity. The boy and his sibling said they did not feel safe around her.
Prosecutors noted that Lucero has a significant criminal history, including other pending cases. Utah court records show felony offenses dating back to at least 2011 and periods of incarceration at the Utah State Prison.
Utah's Aggravated Child Abuse Law
The charges stem from allegations dating to 2024.
Aggravated child abuse under Utah Code Section 76-5-109.2 covers intentionally or knowingly inflicting serious physical injury on a child, or, if the actor has the child's care or custody, causing or permitting another person to inflict it. An intentional or knowing violation is classified as a first-degree felony; a reckless violation is a third-degree felony, and a criminally negligent violation is a class A misdemeanor, per the Utah State Legislature. A first-degree felony conviction in Utah carries an indeterminate sentence of five years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to a Criminal Defense Lawyer explainer on state sentencing law, with the Board of Pardons and Parole setting an actual release date within that range. SB24 child torture may be charged as a third-degree felony with a 10-year minimum.
Case Fits Into a Larger Statewide Pattern
Cases like this one are not isolated in Utah's child welfare system. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services received 48,542 reports of child abuse and neglect statewide in Fiscal Year 2024, accepting 22,650 for formal assessment and confirming 8,791 child victims. Parents accounted for 70.2% of alleged perpetrators in confirmed cases that year, with other relatives making up another 16.2%.
Lucero was charged in 3rd District Court. It remains unclear whether additional charges could be filed given the boy's allegations of repeated prior physical abuse.
Utah has a statewide child abuse and neglect hotline at 1-855-323-DCFS (3237). The Christmas Box House offers temporary shelter, clothing and shoes for children in crisis, with a Salt Lake office reachable at 801-747-2201 and an Ogden office at 801-866-0350. The Utah Domestic Violence Coalition also operates a confidential, statewide 24-hour hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
