Mom accused of killing infant allegedly said she never bonded with baby

Warning: Some readers may find details in this story upsetting.The parents of a 6-week-old infant who died at their Colorado home in February have been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.Colorado Springs police say they arrested 21-year-old John Ostranger and 23-year-old Donica Mirabal on Monday. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office says that Zayden Ostranger died as a result of prolonged, intentional neglect and lack of care.On Feb. 28, police and firefighters were dispatched to an apartment to investigate a report of an unresponsive child. Firefighters found the infant dead in his bassinet.A Colorado Springs Fire Department paramedic described the baby as looking like "something out of an Auschwitz movie," saying he was basically "skin and bones," according to KRDO.According to police, Mirabal told them that she smoked marijuana during her pregnancy and that Zayden was born premature at 36 weeks and six days.Mirabal told authorities that, after leaving the hospital, the child seemed to get "sicker and sicker." She also reportedly said she never bonded with her baby and had no attachment to him. She told officers that though the baby was obviously sick, she never took him to the hospital because she didn't have a car. When police asked Ostranger if he had ever cared fed or changed the child, he told them that his job was to be the "bread winner" and that it was Mirabal's job to raise the children. It couldn’t be immediately determined whether the two had legal representation.

Warning: Some readers may find details in this story upsetting.


The parents of a 6-week-old infant who died at their Colorado home in February have been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

Colorado Springs police say they arrested 21-year-old John Ostranger and 23-year-old Donica Mirabal on Monday. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office says that Zayden Ostranger died as a result of prolonged, intentional neglect and lack of care.

On Feb. 28, police and firefighters were dispatched to an apartment to investigate a report of an unresponsive child. Firefighters found the infant dead in his bassinet.

A Colorado Springs Fire Department paramedic described the baby as looking like "something out of an Auschwitz movie," saying he was basically "skin and bones," according to KRDO.

According to police, Mirabal told them that she smoked marijuana during her pregnancy and that Zayden was born premature at 36 weeks and six days.

Mirabal told authorities that, after leaving the hospital, the child seemed to get "sicker and sicker." She also reportedly said she never bonded with her baby and had no attachment to him.

She told officers that though the baby was obviously sick, she never took him to the hospital because she didn't have a car.

When police asked Ostranger if he had ever cared fed or changed the child, he told them that his job was to be the "bread winner" and that it was Mirabal's job to raise the children.

It couldn’t be immediately determined whether the two had legal representation.