The boyfriend of a missing Massachusetts boy's mother is being held in jail in connection to the child's disappearance, WCVB-TV reported.
Alberto Sierra, 23, pleaded not guilty in Worcester Superior Court on Thursday. He faces charges of indecent assault and battery on a child, permitting bodily injury to a child, reckless endangerment of a child, kidnapping a child, assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery.
Jeremiah Oliver, a 5-year-old from Fitchburg, has been missing since September. However, authorities only learned of his disappearance in December after his sister told school officials that Sierra was abusing her.
The boy's mother, 28-year-old Elsa Oliver, is scheduled for arraignment on Friday. She faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery and reckless endangerment of a child, kidnapping of a child and permitting an assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury.
Both Sierra and Oliver were indicted last week in a lower court and pleaded not guilty.
The boy's mother is also undergoing a court-ordered competency evaluation.
According to the report in the Boston Globe, relatives of the boy's family suggest Sierra is not cooperating with authorities. In addition, lawyer James G. Reardon Jr. said Elsa Oliver has a history of domestic abuse and psychological issues.
"I assume that she is the victim of some significant domestic violence," Reardon said, detailing his client's calm and emotionless demeanor while dealing with such serious charges. "I'm not certain she's processing what really is occurring right now . . . I don't get any useful information out of her."
