Mother arrested in adopted boy's death

The Denver Post

An Aurora woman has been arrested and faces child abuse charges in the death of her 6-year-old adopted son, authorities said Monday.

Hoa Nguyen, also known as Christopher Royce Shepherd, died Saturday at Children's Hospital, three days after being rushed there from his home in the 2000 block of South Rifle Street.

Emergency crews had been called to the home Wednesday morning on a report that the boy had fallen and wasn't breathing, a police spokesman said. Police arrested the child's mother, 53-year-old Royce Elaine Clark, that night on suspicion of felony child abuse. She is free on $10,000 bond.

"It doesn't appear at this point that the injuries are consistent with a fall," the spokesman said. An autopsy Monday showed the child died of complications from head injuries, said Dr. Michael Dobersen, Arapahoe County coroner.

"Shaking certainly could have accounted for this child's injuries," Dobersen said. "He had a severe injury to the brain."