For children and teens without a home to grow up in, it can feel like such a blessing to be formally adopted and land somewhere safe and loving where you know the family welcomes you in with open arms. Tragically, that is not the case for every adopted child because the world is filled with all sorts of people. A Pennsylvania mother is in court, charged with the murder of her 5-year-old adopted son who she allegedly forced to drink from the toilet and forage for food in the time leading up to his death. Opening statements in the case allege that the mother abused, neglected, and failed to seek proper medical treatment for the boy.
Two adoptive parents were charged in 2023 in the death of their 5-year-old adopted son.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, 5-year-old Landon Maloberti died in February 2023, and his two adoptive parents, Lauren and Jacob Maloberti, found themselves facing homicide charges.
The Delmont police chief said this was one of the worst cases of abuse he had ever seen, per CBS Pittsburgh. According to investigators, police were called by a nurse at AHN Hempfield on January 30, 2023, for injuries consistent with abuse, and it was found that among Landon’s injuries was a brain bleed and multiple bruises. He was in critical condition and died February 7.
Westmoreland District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said Landon’s injuries “caused substantial pain at the time they were inflicted, with impairment of function including the inability to stand, inability to eat or drink, and loss of consciousness,” CBS Pittsburgh reported.
So much more about the abuse inflicted upon Landon was going to come to light.
The adopted mom, Lauren Maloberti, has been accused of forcing Landon to drink from the toilet.
According to WTAE, on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, a jury heard the opening statements and first day of testimony in Lauren Maloberti’s trial.
Even though Lauren Maloberti’s lead counsel, Adam Gozelsky, tried to tell the court that this is an “emotional case” and it’s a “complicated situation” with what happened surrounding Landon’s death, it’s difficult to ignore the evidence, WTAE reported.
In the original complaint against Lauren Maloberti, police claimed the adoptive mother “forced him to drink from the toilet and isolated him from other family members,” per the news outlet. TribLive also reported that Landon also was “forced to forage for food in the family kitchen after bedtime,” as he was not getting fed properly by his adoptive mother.
Landon’s condition when brought into the hospital is unbearable to think about.
When Landon was finally taken the hospital, he was slumped over Lauren Maloberti’s shoulder and unconscious, TribLive reported. Patient access specialist Susan Ghrist told jurors that she looked into the mother’s eyes, “and there were no tears.”
How chilling.
During testimony on May 6, nurse Matthew Staub said Landon’s body was covered in bruises, including several on his arms and legs, per TribLive. There also appeared to be several adult-sized fingerprints and a large bruise on his chest that looked like it was made by knuckles.
A brain scan revealed catastrophic injury, Staub testified. According to other testimony, Lauren Maloberti gave multiple reasons for her son’s condition that day, including saying “he’s clumsy and there were behavioral issues and that he fell,” nurse Melinda Kinnan told jurors.
Jacob Maloberti, Lauren’s ex-husband, was also charged with criminal homicide and is being tried separately, per WTAE. If convicted of first-degree murder, Lauren Maloberti faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
Our hearts and thoughts go out to Landon Maloberti’s other family members and friends as they try to make it through this difficult trial.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
