Luzerne County Children, Youth and Families was not involved in the adoption of a 13-year-old murder victim in Butler Township, county Manager Romilda Crocamo said in a Wednesday statement.
The boy’s adopted father — 39-year-old Cesar A. Delgadillo — was charged with criminal homicide, child endangerment, tampering with evidence and obstruction after the boy died at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Hazleton on Monday. Court records allege Delgadillo whipped the boy multiple times with an electrical cord and had a stick-like object rammed into the boy’s mouth.
“It is essential to clarify that Luzerne County CYF did not place these children with their adoptive parents,” Crocamo’s statement said, adding in reference to Delgadillo that “we cannot call him a parent, as true parents are those who cherish and safeguard their children.”
Crocamo said county CYF caseworkers “responded to this heartbreaking scene with courage and compassion, promptly bringing the boy’s siblings to safety.”
“These individuals are the everyday heroes — unseen and unrecognized — who stepped into a nightmare to provide the care and affection that these children were so cruelly denied,” she said of the county workers. “To these caseworkers, this is not just a job, rather it is calling. And it changes their lives forever.”
Crocamo also said Wednesday county CYF was not involved in the placement or adoption of any children in the Butler Township residence because such decisions were made before the family relocated to this county.
County property records indicate the Delgadillos purchased their property on Louis Circle in the Drums section of Butler Township, which is assessed at $349,900, in August 2021.
The remainder of Crocamo’s statement expressed “profound sorrow and outrage” over the “horrific killing of a 13-year-old boy at the hands of his adoptive father.”
Her words:
“This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive evil that exists in our world, particularly the violence inflicted upon the most vulnerable among us — our children.
We must unequivocally abhor all acts of violence, especially those directed at the frail and defenseless. A child is meant to be loved, nurtured and protected, not subjected to unimaginable harm. The very notion that anyone could inflict such violence upon a child is abhorrent and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
We stand in solidarity with the victims of this tragedy and to all victims of violent acts. We will continue to advocate for the protection of all children and work tirelessly to ensure that no child experiences the horror that this young boy endured. Together, we must strive to create a world where every child can grow up free from fear and violence.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, and we urge the community to come together in support of the healing process for those affected by this unimaginable loss.”
According to details from the criminal complaint and affidavit, as previously reported:
The boy’s adopted mother called 911 just after 6 a.m. Monday when she was alerted the victim was unresponsive in the basement of the residence. The boy was pronounced dead at the hospital at 7:34 a.m. Monday.
Butler Township police responded to the house and requested assistance from state police investigators.
Investigators observed blood spatter across the floors in the living room and kitchen, on counters and the basement door and in the boy’s basement bedroom. The boy’s pillow had large red stains consistent with blood.
The boy was found with numerous lacerations on his back and upper torso and stab wounds. There was also a strong odor of bleach in the house, the complaint says.
The mother told investigators her husband, Delgadillo, suspected the 13-year-old boy sexually assaulted other children residing in the house.
Delgadillo took the boy to the garage where he whipped him 10 to 15 times with an electrical cord on the boy’s back, the complaint alleges.
The mother claimed she went to sleep but was awakened Monday morning by a girl who was concerned about the boy being unresponsive in the basement.
When the mother checked on the boy, he had numerous injuries including a laceration down the center of his upper torso, resulting in the 911 call.
The mother told investigators, the complaint says, Delgadillo consumed alcohol Sunday night into Monday and said, “I’m sorry.”
State police in court records said interior surveillance cameras recorded Delgadillo ramming a stick-like object down the boy’s throat and used the object to assault the boy multiple times.
The mother, Virginia Yar Delgadillo, was jailed without bail Wednesday on allegations she failed to stop and call 911 as her husband allegedly caused the fatal injuries.