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Background: The Macomb County Circuit Court in Mt. Clemens, Mich. (Google Maps). Inset: Sierra Pearl Zaitona (Macomb County Jail).
A Michigan woman convicted of the second-degree murder of her toddler son was sentenced to decades behind bars this week.
Sierra Pearl Zaitona, aged 29, chose to plead no contest to charges of second-degree homicide and second-degree child abuse in connection to the starvation death of her 2-year-old son from two years ago.
Zaitona and the child’s father, 26-year-old Jonathon Matthew Cheek, were taken into custody in March 2023 following a 911 call they made when they found their son unresponsive in his crib. Prosecutors charged the couple, who are the child’s biological parents, with causing his death through starvation.
Cheek, who faced the same charges as Zaitona, reached a plea deal with Macomb County prosecutors in October 2024.
On December 18, 2024, Jonathon Cheek was sentenced to a prison term ranging from 24 to 50 years for the homicide charge. He also received a sentence of up to 10 years for child abuse, with time served at the Macomb County Jail being credited. These sentences are set to run concurrently.
On April 9, Zaitona received the same sentence after pleading no contest to both charges. Both she and Cheek could have faced life in prison. Zaitona will also be listed on Michigan’s Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a press release, “The tragic circumstances surrounding this case are heartbreaking as they involve the loss of a young life. An entire family is also permanently impacted in a terrible way. Our thoughts are with the family during this incredibly difficult time. We hope this resolution brings some measure of healing and closure while providing justice for the victim.”
As Law&Crime previously reported, Zaitona and Cheek called 911 on March 16, 2023, after finding their 2-year-old son dead in his crib.
An autopsy revealed that the boy had starved to death. Court proceedings also showed the boy had previously been in foster care and was healthy and thriving before being returned to his biological parents.
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