Raffy's mother convicted in son's death

A mother convicted of causing her 2 year old son's death. Homicide by abuse death after having the baby taken 3 times from her for injuries and always given back.

Rafael "Raffy" Gomez, 2, died September 10, 2003 by the hands of his mother, Maribel Gomez, 32. The baby was born August 7, 2001 with cocaine and methamphetamines in his system. He was placed in foster care with Bruce and Denise Griffith. At the age of 10 months he was given back to his birth parents. Maribel is an illegal immigrant from Mexico and she said the baby fell backwards in a temper tantrum over food and hit his head. She took him to the hospital and told them the child was eating oatmeal, yet in another story she said he had been eating noodle soup. An autopsy said the boy had 2 broken legs, as many as 4 skull fractures, shoulder sprains, burns, and other injuries inflicted on him during his life. He died from a blunt trauma to the head. Child welfare officials took the child 3 times when he was injured and placed him with The Griffiths. But as soon as the injuries were healed they gave the child back to his mother. The child was with his mother 11 months of his life and 14 months in foster care. The foster mother said she never had problems with the child when he was eating. The Department of Social and Health Services did a review that said the child welfare workers were biased toward the birth parents, that they ignored obvious signs that Raffy was in danger and failed to follow the agency's own rules. The defense had a forensic pathologist testify that the child died accidentally from asphyxiation because he choked on his own vomit. This testimony disputed the testimony of the medical examiner who did the autopsy that said the death was homicide and the boy died from a blunt force injury to his head. Two other people were called to dispute the defenses witness. A coroner and a Doctor from the Children's Hospital in Seattle. Both agreed the child died from brain injuries. Gomez waived her right to a trial by jury. She was found guilty of homicide by abuse and 1st degree manslaughter. She could serve as much as 26 years in prison. Once she serves her sentence she will be deported. If she was an illegal immigrant, why was this not discovered when the child was placed back in her care? Or why was it not discovered when the child was taken from her in the first place? All those injuries and she was never charged before? It took the child dieing to finally charge her?