REMEMBERING AIDA

Aida Mikea Monzon Alvarado was only two months old when she died. She was still a newborn, at an age when her entire world should have revolved around being fed, held, comforted and protected. Aida had barely begun her life. She was too young to speak, too young to tell anyone when she was hurting and completely dependent upon the adults caring for her to recognize when she needed help. Public information about Aida is extremely limited because her death occurred only recently. What remains publicly documented focuses almost entirely on the investigation into her death rather than on who she was during her brief life. Aida deserved the opportunity to grow old enough for the world to know her.

AIDA’S STORY

Aida lived with her parents, Katerin Monzon-Alvarado and Oscar Pineda, and an older sibling in Baltimore, Maryland. In the days before Aida died, her parents later acknowledged noticing bruising on their infant daughter. According to investigators, they noticed the bruises on Sunday.mBy the following day, Aida had begun vomiting. Despite those symptoms, Aida was not taken for medical treatment.On the evening of September 8, 2026, Katerin told investigators that she had been in bed with Aida after feeding her while Oscar was caring for their toddler.  Several hours later, Aida became unresponsive. Katerin attempted CPR before taking her daughter to MedStar Harbor Hospital. Medical personnel noticed suspicious bruising around Aida’s eyes and jawline. They were unable to revive her. Aida was pronounced dead shortly before Baltimore police arrived at the hospital at approximately 1:08 a.m. on September 9. She was only two months old. The investigation quickly raised concerns that Aida’s death was not the result of an ordinary medical emergency. A preliminary examination revealed significant trauma. Further examination documented frontal lobe hemorrhaging, a subdural hemorrhage and multiple skull fractures. Investigators believed the injuries were inconsistent with the explanations given for how Aida had been hurt. Katerin reportedly told investigators that Aida may have fallen from the bed after her two year old sibling jumped on it. Prosecutors argued that the extent of Aida’s injuries could not have resulted from a single fall from a bed. Oscar gave investigators a different explanation, attributing Aida’s injuries to a supernatural force. Both parents denied deliberately harming their daughter. Following interviews with Katerin and Oscar and consultation with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, homicide detectives arrested both parents. As investigators continued working to determine exactly what happened to Aida, the baby at the center of the case could no longer speak for herself.

WARNING SIGNS

The publicly available information currently establishes warning signs during the days immediately before Aida’s death. Her parents acknowledged noticing bruising before she died. Aida then began vomiting. Those symptoms did not result in her receiving medical treatment. She was not taken to the hospital until she became unresponsive. Aida was only two months old. At that age, she could not describe pain, explain how she had been injured or ask another adult for help. Her safety depended entirely upon the people caring for her recognizing signs that something was seriously wrong and obtaining medical treatment. 

JUSTICE FOR AIDA

Baltimore homicide detectives arrested Katerin Monzon-Alvarado and Oscar Pineda following Aida’s death. As of September 2026, both parents have been charged with first degree child abuse, second degree child abuse, first degree assault, second degree assault and reckless endangerment. Authorities have stated that additional homicide charges may be filed depending upon the final findings of the medical examiner. Aida’s case remains active. Neither parent has been convicted of causing Aida’s death. Because the criminal proceedings are ongoing, no conviction or sentencing blocks are included at this time.

FOREVER REMEMBERED

Aida lived for only two months. She never had the opportunity to tell anyone what she liked. She never got old enough to choose a favorite toy, sing a favorite song or develop the little personality traits her family would someday tell stories about. She never celebrated her first birthday. She never learned to walk. She never learned to say her own name. The public record surrounding Aida begins almost at the end of her life. It describes bruises. It describes injuries. It records what adults told investigators and what doctors discovered after she could no longer be saved. Those records are important because the truth about Aida’s death matters. But they cannot be allowed to become everything that remains of her. Aida was a baby before she was an investigation. She was someone's daughter. She was someone's little sister. She had an entire lifetime ahead of her that should have contained thousands of ordinary moments no police report would ever have needed to record. Aida was completely dependent upon the adults around her. She deserved tenderness. She deserved protection. She deserved medical care when she was hurt. Most of all, she deserved the chance to grow up. Whatever the criminal justice system ultimately determines about responsibility for her death, Aida’s life does not have to wait for a verdict to matter. She was here. She was only two months old. And she deserves to be remembered. Abuse Angels remembers Aida Mikea Monzon Alvarado. Remembered. Honored. Never Forgotten.