Buffalo Parents Who Pleaded Guilty in Infant Daughter’s Malnutrition Death Avoid Prison
Erie County Court Judge James F. Bargnesi sentenced a Buffalo-area couple to five years of probation after they pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of their 2½-month-old daughter.
Luis Gonzalez Jr., 26, and Kitrina Udrea, 23, were sentenced Wednesday after admitting guilt to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony.
Authorities said police and paramedics responded to an apartment on the 2000 block of William Street in Cheektowaga, New York, on July 7, 2023, after receiving a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child.
The couple’s daughter, Londyn Gonzalez, was transported by ambulance to the former Oishei Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to prosecutors, Londyn was born on April 20, 2023, weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces.
During pediatric appointments in late April and early May, a medical provider raised concerns about the infant’s declining weight and instructed Gonzalez and Udrea to increase the amount and frequency of her feedings.
Prosecutors said the couple failed to return for a scheduled May 8 appointment and did not contact the pediatrician’s office again or take Londyn to another medical provider.
At the time of her death approximately 2½ months later, Londyn weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death a homicide by neglect caused by malnutrition and dehydration.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said the case involved more than a single mistake, arguing that the couple ignored medical guidance regarding their daughter’s care.
“As we advised the court, this crime was not a brief lapse in judgment or a single poor decision, but the intentional withholding of nutrition for several weeks from their own baby,” Keane said. “The cries of their hungry newborn and the advice of medical professionals fell on deaf ears.”
Prosecutors had sought prison time, while the defense argued the couple lacked the education and resources needed to properly care for their child.
Luis Gonzalez Jr., 26, and Kitrina Udrea, 23, were sentenced Wednesday after admitting guilt to one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a Class C felony.
Authorities said police and paramedics responded to an apartment on the 2000 block of William Street in Cheektowaga, New York, on July 7, 2023, after receiving a 911 call reporting an unresponsive child.
The couple’s daughter, Londyn Gonzalez, was transported by ambulance to the former Oishei Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to prosecutors, Londyn was born on April 20, 2023, weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces.
During pediatric appointments in late April and early May, a medical provider raised concerns about the infant’s declining weight and instructed Gonzalez and Udrea to increase the amount and frequency of her feedings.
Prosecutors said the couple failed to return for a scheduled May 8 appointment and did not contact the pediatrician’s office again or take Londyn to another medical provider.
At the time of her death approximately 2½ months later, Londyn weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
The Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death a homicide by neglect caused by malnutrition and dehydration.
Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Keane said the case involved more than a single mistake, arguing that the couple ignored medical guidance regarding their daughter’s care.
“As we advised the court, this crime was not a brief lapse in judgment or a single poor decision, but the intentional withholding of nutrition for several weeks from their own baby,” Keane said. “The cries of their hungry newborn and the advice of medical professionals fell on deaf ears.”
Prosecutors had sought prison time, while the defense argued the couple lacked the education and resources needed to properly care for their child.
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