Jacob N. Maloberti, Lauren E. Maloberti, and Landon Maloberti (Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office)
A married couple in Pennsylvania who raised thousands in online donations following the death of their 5-year-old son will no longer be able to profit off of the boy’s death now that they’ve been arrested and charged in the boy’s death.
The GoFundMe page set up by Jacob N. Maloberti and Lauren E. Maloberti has been disabled and donor requests for refunds will be honored, the crowdfunding company announced. Authorities say the parents physically and emotionally tortured their son, Landon Maloberti, ultimately beating him to death and leaving his brain “obliterated.”
“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and we cooperate with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing,” a spokesperson for GoFundMe said in an email to Law&Crime. “The fundraiser has been removed from our platform and donors may request a refund via the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.”
Landon’s adoptive parents had raised just over $5,000 in the wake of his untimely death in January of this year. The spokesperson clarified that requested refunds “will be coming out of GoFundMe’s own pocket.”
The Malobertis were taken into custody on July 27. Jacob Maloberti, who works as a corrections officer at Fayette State Correctional Center, was charged with one count each of criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of children, and criminal conspiracy, as well as two counts of aggravated assault of a child. Lauren Maloberti is facing the same charges as her husband, plus one count of first-degree murder.
Speaking of the disturbing nature of the case, Delmont Police Chief T.J. Klobucar said in a statement that the department had “never faced an incident like this.”
According to a press release from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, the investigation into the Malobertis began on the evening of Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, when they brought an unconscious Landon to AHN Hempfield Neighborhood Hospital. Due to the severity of his condition, the child was later transported to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children’s Hospital for more specialized care.
Unfortunately, Landon ultimately succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead just over a week later, on the evening of Feb. 7. The Allegheny County Medical examiner determined that the little boy’s manner of death was a homicide.
A copy of the criminal complaint obtained by Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI states that Landon’s parents waited a full day after he suffered his fatal injuries before seeking medical care for the boy. Furthermore, medical staff at the hospital reportedly told investigators that when the couple arrived at the facility they appeared to show “no urgency,” and they said that Landon was just “wobbly from COVID a month prior.”
Despite the parent’s alleged claims, UMPC doctors reportedly found that Landon had actually suffered three separate bleeds in his brain, describing his brain as “obliterated.”
During a news conference, Westmoreland District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli provided additional facts about Landon’s condition, saying he lived a “very tough” life prior to his death.
“One of the doctors at UPMC physician noted that Landon, he had multiple episodes of physical abuse in combination with at least two types of emotional maltreatment,” she said. “His injuries caused substantial pain at the time they were inflicted with impairment of function including inability to stand, inability to eat or drink, and loss of consciousness.”
Ziccarelli also read directly from the report provided by the pathologist for Westmoreland County.
“Landon had blunt force trauma to his head and neck, blunt force trauma to his torso, blunt force trauma to his extremities,” she continued. “Landon also had prolonged and intensive medical interventions prior to his death and multiple bruises in different stages of healing.”
In the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged that Lauren Maloberti’s former colleagues told police she “hated” Landon and referred to him as “hard to love,” according to WPXI.
“Tragically, Landon suffered abuse and trauma over the span of his short life,” DA Ziccarelli said in closing the news conference. “We intend to prosecute this case with the dignity and honor Landon deserves.”
The Malobertis are currently being held in Westmoreland County Prison without bond. They are scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 8.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
