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In February 2016, Anthony Delgado, a 17-month-old toddler, lost his life in Staten Island.
He died after being subjected to unspeakable abuse at the hands of his babysitter, Gloria Fields.
In fact, Anthony Delgado's murder remains one of the most harrowing child abuse cases in recent history.
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| Anthony Delgado |
What Happened To Anthony Delgado?
Anthony Delgado lived with his mother, Marta Delgado, in the Park Hill neighborhood of Staten Island.
In February 2016, Marta asked her neighbor, Gloria Fields, to babysit Anthony Delagado for the weekend.
Gloria Fields was 32 years old at the time.
She lived in the same building as Marta and had babysat Anthony on previous occasions.
However during this fateful weekend that Anthony spent with Fields, he suffered unthinkable acts of violence and cruelty.
Prosecutors revealed that Gloria Fields physically assaulted the toddler.
She reportedly shook him, slammed his head into hard surfaces, and beat him up repeatedly.
She also sexually assaulted him with a crayon belonging to her own child.
Finally, while Anthony was strapped in his stroller, Fields slammed his head into the ground, causing multiple skull fractures.
When Gloria Fields finally returned Anthony to his family on Sunday night, he was unconscious and unresponsive.
Anthony’s grandmother called 911, but it was too late.
Despite efforts by emergency responders, Anthony was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital North.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to his head and torso.
This news made Anthony’s family so devastated.
“We’re shocked; we’re devastated. It’s unbelievable — an innocent little boy,” said Linda Cromwell, his great-aunt.
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| Gloria Fields mugshot |
Gloria Fields Arrest And Sentence
The investigation into Anthony Delgado’s sudden death immediately began and Gloria Fields was brought in for questioning.
Gloria initially blamed her ex-boyfriend and later her current boyfriend for the fatal injuries inflicted on the victim.
However, when detectives confronted her with the findings of their ongoing investigation, Gloria Fields' confessed to causing the toddler's fatal injuries.
Authorities say that Fields was angry with Anthony’s grandmother, who also stay with Marta.
Gloria Fields' young son was reportedly removed from her home due to a complaint Anthony’s grandmother had made to Child services.
"I really didn't mean to kill him. I just wanted to inflict pain on something else because I was in pain. ... I didn't know he was going to die. That intention did not cross my mind. ... I take responsibility. I am sorry," said Gloria Fields.
With this chilling statement, she admitted to harming Anthony Delgado, including sticking a crayon inside his rectum.
Authorities say she tortured the 17 months old from Friday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016 - before he died.
After an extensive investigation, Gloria Fields was arrested.
It was later discovered that Fields had a history of petty crimes and substance abuse.
She reportedly used heroin and marijuana during the weekend Anthony was in her care.
Authorities also discovered that she had nine prior arrests, primarily for misdemeanor offenses.
Her boyfriend, who was also present at the time of the abuse, had 25 arrests.
According to Assistant District Attorney Ann Thompson, Anthony was left utterly defenseless during the ordeal.
“He could not walk. He could not talk. He could not scream. He could not ask for help,” Thompson stated during the hearing.
Family members were horrified after Gloria Fields showed no remorse for her actions.
During court proceedings, she remained emotionless, further enraging Anthony’s grieving relatives.
“This is the most disturbing case I’ve ever presided over,” Supreme Court Judge Wayne Ozzie remarked.
“You showed no emotion. It just confirms my belief that you’re just depraved in some way.”
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| Gloria Fields in court |
Gloria Fields initially pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, seven counts of assault, and aggravated sexual abuse.
However, in 2018, she accepted a plea deal, admitting to first-degree murder.
The court sentenced Fields to 23 years to life in prison.
During her sentencing, Anthony’s family expressed their pain and loss.
“I will never get to see his smiling face. I will never be able to feed him cheese doodles, which was his favorite food,” said his uncle, Eddie Castro, in a statement on behalf of Marta Delgado
While the sentence provided a measure of justice, it could never heal the wounds inflicted on Anthony’s loved ones.
In another case, a woman brutally burnt her children in an oven before sending the photo to her baby daddy.
See more details of that case here.
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