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Grandmother of child who was allegedly murdered by mother speaks out

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) - The grandmother of a child who was allegedly murdered by his mother and her boyfriend is speaking out.

Leia Lentz made her first courtroom appearance this week in El Centro in connection with the torture and murder of her 5-year-old son, Joseph Junior.

This as Lentz's boyfriend is facing his own charges of murder and child neglect.

The grandmother, who saw the child every day, says she called Child Protective Services (CPS) when she began noticing bruises on the him.

"I started noticing junior having bruises and falling all the time. So I started, every time he came home with a pooped lip or something, I would take him to the hospital, because I know the hospital is gonna call CPS," said Gloria Garcia, Joseph's grandmother.

The family said CPS just gave the child back to Lentz.

They want justice for the child and the grandmother believes the mother is responsible for the death.

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Jessamyn Dodd

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