Mother and Boyfriend Charged After 2-Year-Old Dies at Home

By Jordan Reyes. Aug 24, 2026

A Second Arrest in a 2-Year-Old Boy’s Death

An 18-year-old Georgia mother has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son, weeks after police arrested her live-in boyfriend on a malice murder charge.

Canton police announced August 21 that Devorah Diaz Perez had been taken into custody following an interview with detectives and further investigation into the child’s death. Her boyfriend, 22-year-old Celso Edison Vicente Y Vicente, had already been charged with malice murder and first-degree cruelty to children.

The case centers on a child who died inside the place where he should have been safest: his own home and among the adults responsible for his care.

Police Were Called to the Family’s Home

The investigation began August 3 when Canton officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of Cartersville Street after receiving a report that a 2-year-old child was unresponsive.

Officers attempted to help the boy, and he was transported for medical treatment but did not survive. Vicente Y Vicente was arrested in connection with the death shortly afterward.

People reported that investigators accused Vicente Y Vicente of severely assaulting the toddler while he was responsible for caring for him. Because the victim was a very young child, police have limited the amount of information released publicly while the investigation remains active.

Officials have said the medical examiner’s findings are part of the continuing investigation.

The Child’s Mother Is Now Charged Too

For more than two weeks, Vicente Y Vicente was the only person facing a murder charge in the case.

That changed after detectives interviewed Diaz Perez on August 20. Canton police said investigators, working with the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office, developed probable cause to charge her.

Diaz Perez faces one count of second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree cruelty to children and three counts of reckless conduct, according to the department. She was taken to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

Police have not publicly detailed the evidence underlying each allegation against Diaz Perez, saying those facts could become part of the judicial process.

Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Investigators Say the Case Remains Active

The involvement of both adults in the household has made the case especially painful for the community.

Canton Police Chief Marty Ferrell described a child’s death as heartbreaking and said detectives remained committed to a thorough investigation. The department also credited the district attorney’s office, sheriff’s crime scene unit, emergency medical personnel and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Medical Examiner’s Office with assisting in the case.

Authorities have asked anyone with relevant information to contact Canton police.

The department has also cautioned that because criminal charges are pending, additional evidence and statements from interviews will not necessarily be made public while the case moves forward.

A Home Becomes the Center of a Criminal Case

The legal questions surrounding the two defendants will be decided in court. What is already clear is that the investigation began with the death of an exceptionally vulnerable child whose entire world depended on the adults around him.

For families in Canton, the case is not simply about two arrests or a growing list of charges. It is about a 2-year-old boy who died before he had the chance to grow up.

Police say their work is not finished, and the judicial process for both Diaz Perez and Vicente Y Vicente is only beginning.

References: Mother Charged in 2-Year-Old Son’s Death After Boyfriend Allegedly Severely Beat Toddler | Second Arrest in Death Investigation of Two-Year-Old Child | Cherokee County Mother 2nd Person Charged With Murder in Death of 2-Year-Old Son