Orange County woman who left 2-year-old stepson paralyzed sentenced to prison

An Orange County woman who beat her 2-year-old stepson so badly that he was left with severe brain damage and permanent paralysis of his left side was sentenced Friday to 12 years to life in state prison plus seven years.

Noelia Ayala, 24, left the toddler in a coma five years ago, resulting in life-changing injuries in a brutal case of child abuse that his father allegedly tried to cover up. Alberto Aragon, the child's 36-year-old father, initially said his son's wounds were the result of a fall at a pool, prosecutors say, but doctors determined that couldn't be possible because they were all in various stages of healing.

They could see that the severe injuries had occurred over a period of time. 

Last month, a jury found Ayala guilty of one felony count of torture, one felony count of assault resulting in a comatose state or paralysis of a child under the age of 8 and two felony sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury to a child under five.

Aragon faces up to six years in state prison if convicted of the charge filed against him — felony child abuse and endangerment for allegedly delaying urgently needed medical attention for his 2-year-old son.

According to prosecutors, Ayala had brutally beaten the boy because she was upset Aragon was gone for long stretches of time and would talk about the child's mother. 

On Aug. 13, 2019, paramedics responded to the family's Garden Grove home and found the toddler going in and out of consciousness and vomiting blood. Doctors at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) later found he had suffered bleeding on his brain, which was so severe that he had it coming out of his ears and had to be rushed into emergency surgery.

He also had intense bruising all over his body, including his face, arms and back, and he was left with bite marks to his lips and a cut to his head. However, the person responsible for his life-changing injuries, which authorities say have left him disabled, was not arrested for years.

Ayala was using a fake name when she had a $1 million warrant out for her arrest as a wanted person, according to the Garden Grove Police Department. Detectives were told the Orange County District Attorney's Office was trying to track her down in late January 2022. The same week, they found her working at a fast-food restaurant in Irvine after following up on a tip.

It had been more than years since the 2-year-old victim was rushed into an emergency room.

In a statement, District Attorney Todd Spitzer described Ayala as "sadistic" and said she treated the victim like a "punching bag."

"The miracle workers at CHOC have rescued another defenseless child from the brink of death after being subjected to unspeakable violence by the very people who are supposed to protect these children," Spitzer said.