Mother and boyfriend sentenced to prison in death of Sugarloaf toddler Henry Wheatley Brown

A Big Bear Valley mother and her boyfriend were sentenced to state prison Tuesday for the 2023 death of her 14-month-old son, whose abuse went unchecked despite warnings to county child welfare officials and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The sentences close the criminal case against Samantha Victoria Garver and Sergio Vincent Mena — but leave open troubling questions about whether Henry Wheatley Brown's death could have been prevented.

Henry was found burned, bruised, and unresponsive at the family's home in Sugarloaf on Sept. 30, 2023, and died the following day.[1] He was 14 months old.

Superior Court Judge Alexander R. Martinez sentenced Garver, 36, to 14 years in state prison after she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse causing great bodily injury.[1] Mena, 34, received 21 years to life after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse causing great bodily injury.[1]

What happened the night Henry died

According to a Children and Family Services case file, Garver left Henry alone with Mena on the night of Sept. 30 knowing that Mena had been using methamphetamine and had not slept for two days.[1] Mena left the toddler unattended in a bathtub with the water running while he got high; when Garver came home the next morning, Henry had burns on his penis and lower legs consistent with being dipped in hot water.[1] The two provided Henry no meaningful care — only an antihistamine — for 12 hours before calling 911 around 8 p.m.[1] When first responders arrived, the couple said Henry's heart had stopped about 20 minutes earlier, though investigators believe he had been dead considerably longer.[1]

The abuse was not limited to that night. Henry's body showed bruises in various stages of healing, a previously dislocated arm, and several knocked-out teeth.[1]

A pattern of ignored warnings

The sentencings have renewed scrutiny of how county agencies handled multiple alarms raised before Henry's death.

A family friend, Stephanie Duncan, called the Sheriff's Department on June 30, 2023 — three months before Henry died — to report troubling head injuries she had noticed on the child. A responding deputy examined Henry and told Duncan that babies who aren't walking shouldn't have those types of injuries, according to her account. The deputy said he would follow up with Garver and Mena. Henry continued to live in the home.[1]

Henry's paternal grandmother said she called Children and Family Services six times with concerns about the boy's safety after he was born and was ignored each time.[1]

Perhaps most strikingly, Garver had an outstanding arrest warrant for nearly a decade — stemming from a 2013 child cruelty conviction for which she failed to serve 100 days in custody or complete a required treatment program. Caseworkers visited the home after Henry was born, yet the warrant was never served. Children and Family Services has not explained why.[1]

The Sheriff's Department has also declined to explain what steps, if any, the deputy took after Duncan's June 2023 report beyond filing a report.[1]

What's next

Big Bear News has reached out to the San Bernardino County Children and Family Services department, the Sheriff's Department, and the District Attorney's Office for comment and will update this story when responses are received. Residents with information or concerns about child safety in the Big Bear Valley area can contact Children and Family Services at (909) 891-3000.