Stepmother charged with killing 4-year-old Sirita Sotelo 

06:30 AM PST on Tuesday, March 15, 2005

From KING 5 Staff and Wire Reports

EVERETT, Wash. - A first-degree manslaughter charge was filed Monday against the 25-year-old stepmother of 4-year-old Sirita Sotelo, who was beaten to death in January at the family home in Lake Stevens.

Heather Ewell, who was not immediately arrested, was caring for the girl the night of her death. Police said she initially fabricated a story to cover up what really happened.

After Sirita's death on Jan. 21, Ewell told detectives the girl accidentally fell back and hit her head. But papers filed by prosecutors in Snohomish County Superior Court allege that Ewell struck the child multiple times while she was taking care of her, causing a skull fracture and severed liver.

The blows were so severe that any one of them would have been fatal, investigators said in court papers.

KING

Sirita Sotelo

Sirita's death was ruled a homicide by abuse.

“The medical examiner's report indicated the injuries to the girl were not accidental,” said Craig Matheson, deputy prosecuting attorney.

“It makes you incredibly angry,” said Gary M., Sirita's former foster father. “How hard do you hit someone to do that kind of damage? You can hit someone pretty hard and it doesn't kill them."

After the child's death, her foster parents testified before the Legislature in favor of legal changes to protect other foster children by changing state law to limit the rights of biological parents.

The bill known as "Sirita's Law" passed the House 94-0 last Thursday and is pending in the Senate.

Sirita was born with cocaine in her system and state officials have said she was checked a number of times as a potential abuse or neglect victim before being returned to her family.

State Child Protective Services investigators were reviewing the agency's handling of the case.

Ewell was not immediately arrested and will probably not be taken into custody until her arraignment next Wednesday, March 23. If found guilty, Ewell could face up to 8.5 years in prison. It's also possible she could reach a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The Associated Press and KING 5's Jane McCarthy and Ray Lane contributed to this report.