SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY — Today, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office Family Violence Unit secured guilty pleas and convictions against defendants Sergio Mena and Samantha Garver, of Big Bear, for the death of 1‑year‑old Henry Wheatley-Brown. Garver was Henry’s mother, and Mena was her boyfriend.
On Sept. 30, 2023, Mena placed Henry in a bathtub filled with scalding water and left him unattended to smoke methamphetamine. Henry began screaming, and Mena returned to find the child severely burned. He notified Garver, who returned home later that evening. Despite Henry’s extensive and life-threatening injuries, neither defendant sought medical care, instead attempting to treat the burns with over‑the‑counter ointment.
On Oct. 1, the defendants called 911 reporting Henry had shallow breathing. Paramedics found Henry without a pulse, ice‑cold to the touch, and severely dehydrated. Henry died as a result of a scalding injury, and the case was classified as a homicide.
The investigation further revealed that Henry had suffered ongoing physical abuse. Henry had second‑ and third‑degree burns, extensive bruising, petechiae in his eyes, and multiple healing fractures in both arms. Garver was aware of Henry’s injuries.
• Sergio Mena was convicted and sentenced to 21 years to life for second‑degree murder and child abuse causing great bodily injury.
• Samantha Garver was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in state prison for voluntary manslaughter and child abuse causing great bodily injury.
Although nothing can bring back baby Henry or erase the suffering he endured, today’s sentences deliver justice and ensure these defendants will never again harm a child. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office will honor Henry’s memory by never forgetting him and by continuing to fight for vulnerable children.
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