Mom Accused Of 3-Year-Old Son's Death Being Held At State Hospital

BEL AIR, MD — The mom seen beating her 3-year-old son to death on surveillance footage outside a storage unit in Bel Air in 2023 has been deemed not criminally responsible for the crime.

Gloria Elena Hughes, 39, of Morganton, N.C., pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 13 during a hearing at Harford County Superior Court on July 7. However, despite her guilty plea, court documents show that she was deemed not criminally responsible for the charges, reported WSOC.

After the court’s decision, Hughes was transferred and is being held in a state psychiatric facility for an undetermined amount of time, according to the Harford County Clerk of Court's Office, the station reported.

Prior to entering her plea, Hughes had been scheduled to start trial Sept. 2.

According to Law & Crime, under state law, "not criminally responsible "is a legal determination not unlike an insanity defense. When claimed by a defendant, the case can be bifurcated with the guilt phase separate from sentencing, potentially resulting in a defendant simultaneously being found guilty while also not criminally responsible. According to legal experts, a defendant found guilty but not criminally responsible is handed over to a state hospital instead of being sent to prison, Law & Crime explained.

Police described 3-year-old Jason Garcia's death as "pure evil."

“It’s just heartbreaking," Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore said in 2023, according to WBAL-TV. "If there’s evil — that’s pure evil. That’s pure evil, when you see something like that, and it hurts all of us.”

A man reported seeing Hughes crying with Jason in her vehicle on Gateway Drive in Bel Air on Dec. 2, 2023. When the person checked on her, she "brushed the person off" and drove away, charging documents revealed.

Later that night, Hughes took Jason to the emergency room at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center after he ingested a boric acid suppository, court documents revealed. Video surveillance showed the child and mom leaving the hospital Sunday at 12:15 a.m., Patch reported.

But five hours later, surveillance cameras at Self Storage Plus in Bel Air reveal images of Hughes struggling with her son and slamming his head against the asphalt ground several times, then grabbing his legs and body slamming him again, WMAR reported.

On Dec. 3, 2023, around 5:25 a.m., an off-duty Harford County sheriff's deputy was driving past 404 North Main Street in Bel Air when he saw Hughes in the road holding her son. The deputy called for assistance and Bel Air police officers arrived within minutes, according to the police department, Patch reported.

Emergency responders began life-saving measures on the child, who also was from from Morganton, North Carolina. The child was taken to the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center by Harford County EMS and pronounced dead about 6 a.m., police reported. Medical staff said the child suffered some abrasions on his face and a large skull fracture that ultimately led to his death, Patch reported previously.

During Hughes’ bail review, the prosecutor described the facts of the case as "horrific, heinous, barbaric and unfathomable." Hughes appeared to be disoriented when in court and couldn’t tell the judge what day it was or why she was there, reported WBTV. The judge denied bail and ordered a competency evaluation.

Court documents obtained by WMAR said Hughes had run away from her hometown of Morganton, North Carolina, with her son in 2023 while embroiled in a child custody battle. The boy's father had contacted local police on Dec. 3, 2023, warning them she might be taking the child to Maryland.

Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke with Alex Garcia about the death of his and Hughes’ 3-year old son. Garcia said two days before the boy's death, he had called 911 in Morganton about a dispute with his girlfriend, Hughes. At the time, he said Hughes had taken his cellphone and barricaded herself in an upstairs bedroom with Jason.

Seven public safety officers responded to the couple’s home, but police said there was no indication the child was in any danger. Garcia said he called 911 a second time after coming home from work and finding Hughes and the 3-year-old gone.

Related:

• NC Mom Ruled Incompetent To Stand Trial In 3-Year-Old Son's Bel Air Death: Report
• Mom Found Holding Lifeless Child In Bel Air Street Charged With Murder: Police