MIAMI (WSVN) - A woman accused of killing her baby in 1990 has taken the stand for a third trial.
Ana Maria Cardona faced a judge for her third trial, Monday. Cardona had perviously been sentenced to death twice before, but both convictions were overturned.
Now, prosecutors are opting for life behind bars for the murder of her 3-year-old son Lazaro Figueroa, known to many as “Baby Lollipops” due to the design he had on his shirt.
During her testimony, Cardona maintained her innocence and said a former lover was responsible. “Olivia is an aggressive person,” Cardona said through a translator. “She’s a monster, she’s a monster.”
Cardona portrayed herself as a woman of abuse by a woman named Olivia Gonzalez.
“Any time that she would touch me, I’d become nauseous,” Cardona said through her translator.
Gonzalez took a plea deal for her role in the child’s death, served time and is now free.
Cardona now faces life in prison as well as questions about lying to officers in 1990 about what happened to her son.
Lazaro’s body was found in the bushes outside of a Miami Beach home in 1990.
The child’s battered body weighed only 18 pounds, leading investigators to believe he had been tortured.
Cardona previously said the boy’s death was an accident — claiming he hit his head after falling from a bed, and she discarded his body.
Closing arguments are set for Tuesday morning. The jury is expected to get the case Tuesday afternoon.
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