A Minnesota mother has been sentenced to over 17 years in prison for slamming her toddler’s head into a wall, leading to his death. Larena Jackson, 31, pleaded guilty in February to second-degree murder, assault, and malicious punishment of a child in the 2023 killing of her 23-month-old son, Aaaryan.
The tragic incident unfolded in August 2023 when Jackson called police, falsely claiming her son had been run over by a car driven by the boy’s father, Robert Ortez. However, investigators discovered bloodstains throughout Jackson’s Cass Lake home and holes in the wall matching the shape of a toddler’s head.
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Court documents revealed the child suffered severe injuries, including deep lacerations on his scalp, forehead, under his left eye, and a split lip. Aaaryan succumbed to his injuries five days later in the hospital. Jackson later admitted to authorities that the accident involving Ortez never occurred.
Prosecutors determined the injuries were caused by blunt force trauma consistent with child abuse. In her guilty plea petition, Jackson stated she was “under the influence of drugs” at the time of the crime.
“I didn’t know what I was doing at the time of the crime and am entering this plea on Norgaard basis,” she said. Her plea—a “Norgaard plea”—is a Minnesota legal provision allowing defendants to admit guilt based on the prosecution’s evidence while claiming impaired memory due to intoxication or amnesia.
Ortez condemned the sentence, arguing Jackson deserved life in prison and questioning her claim of intoxication. “She took a life. She took my baby’s life,” Ortez told Valley News Live. “I still don’t know, to this day, what really happened because she isn’t saying anything. I’m still trying to figure out why she did it.”
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The case has sparked outrage and grief, leaving many unanswered questions about the circumstances leading to the toddler’s tragic death. Jackson’s sentencing marks the end of a harrowing legal battle, but for Ortez and loved ones, the pain of Aaaryan’s loss remains.
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