The death of Ángel Nicolás López, the 4-year-old boy who died in Comodoro Rivadavia, took a decisive turn after the results of the autopsy were released. The forensic report confirmed a shocking fact: the minor had 22 internal blows to the head, compatible with repeated physical assaults.
The case, which was already under investigation as a dubious death, quickly escalated to an aggravated homicide case, with the arrest of her mother, Mariela Altamirano (28), and her partner, Maicol González, as prime suspects.According to judicial sources, the detected blows are distributed in key areas of the skull:
frontal, temporal and occipital (nape) regions. The autopsy established that Ángel suffered brain death as a result of a chain of physiological events: “intracranial hypertension due to diffuse and generalized cerebral edema associated with herniation of the cerebellar tonsils linked to subarachnoid hemorrhage”. In addition, the prosecution had already announced that the intracranial injuries were days before the death, which reinforces the hypothesis of a pattern of sustained violence over time. In addition, the researchers do not rule out that the case is part of an abused child syndrome, a condition associated with repeated assaults against minors
Specialists explained the mechanism that led to death. Neurologist Alejandro Andersson explained:
“This bleeding triggered widespread diffuse cerebral edema,” causing a critical increase in pressure inside the skull. For his part, neurosurgeon Leandro Carballo explained that this extreme pressure causes compression of the brain stem, affecting vital functions such as breathing and circulation. The process is clear and devastating: trauma → bleeding → inflammation → increased pressure → cardiorespiratory arrest.
The medical record provided a decisive element: “They report that there was a history of previous trauma,” said the doctors who received the child. Ángel was in critical condition: “Unconscious, does not respond to stimuli, with assisted ventilation,” the report states. This data coincides with the medical reconstruction and reinforces the hypothesis that there was a blow prior to the physical collapse









