A tragic case from Minnesota has shocked many after a mother allegedly stopped at a Walmart while rushing her sick 20-month-old son to the hospital. Valerie Zamora, 32, has been charged with second-degree unintentional murder following the death of her toddler. The little boy was rushed to a hospital in Moorhead, near the North Dakota border, but sadly, he did not survive. Authorities say the family made a Walmart stop to buy Pedialyte, a drink meant to help with dehydration, just before the boy died.
Court records reveal that the toddler became very sick on May 14, and even after a full day, his condition did not improve. Witnesses said they urged Zamora to take her son to the hospital, but she instead gave him Tylenol and Gatorade and went about running errands. The next day, when one of Zamora’s other children came back from school, she noticed right away that the boy needed medical help. Zamora told her she would take him to the hospital once her partner returned home.
One of the siblings even said she was scared the little boy might die while she held him. Finally, on the evening of May 15, Zamora and her family decided to head to the hospital. But on the way, security cameras caught them stopping at Walmart where Zamora purchased Pedialyte. The boy was vomiting blood, and after a quick warning from Zamora’s partner inside the store, the family rushed to the hospital. Sadly, the boy was declared dead by 11:05 p.m.
When police questioned Zamora, she said her son had started vomiting the day before. But officers accused her of changing her story several times. They also noticed bruises on the toddler’s body. Zamora said the bruises were because he bruised easily, but the county coroner’s report told a different story. The autopsy showed the boy suffered blunt force injuries from an assault, including broken ribs and bruises. The coroner ruled the death a homicide.
During a later interview, Zamora admitted that she hesitated to take her son to the hospital because she feared social services might remove her children due to neglect. She said she knew there was “obviously neglect.” Zamora was arrested in Fargo and booked into the Cass County Jail. She will be extradited to Moorhead to face murder charges.