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Las Vegas babysitter charged with murder of 5 year old boy after assault caught on video

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Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter
Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter charged w/ murder of 5 yr old boy, Ryan James Peralto.
Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter
Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter charged w/ murder of 5 yr old boy, Ryan James Peralto.

Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter charged with the murder of five year old boy in her care, Ryan James Peralto, after video captured her assaulting child. 

A Las Vegas babysitter has been accused of kicking and beating a five-year-old boy to death after the child urinated in his pants, only for the caretaker to then go out with her boyfriend to get a McDonald’s meal. 

Ryan James Peralto died in the hospital on March 12, a day after suffering a barrage of injuries, including a skull fracture, brain hemorrhage, and damage to his liver, spleen, pancreas and intestines, while in the care of his 22-year-old babysitter, Laurren J. Courtney

The woman was initially arrested on eight counts of child abuse or neglect with substantial bodily harm, but after the Clark County coroner’s office ruled Ryan’s death a homicide, prosecutors this week also charged Courtney with first-degree murder.

According to an arrest report cited by KLAS, Ryan’s beating was captured on surveillance cameras, which his father had installed inside the family’s home after his seven-year-old daughter told him their babysitter was hurting her brother.

The report states that police arrived at the Peralto residence in the 5100 block of South Jones Boulevard on March 11 after getting a 911 call about an unresponsive child.

‘Not doing well…’ 

Ryan’s father, Kaiaa Peralto, told officers that while he was at work earlier in the day, he got a call from Courtney, telling him that his son ‘was apparently not doing good and coughed up blood.’

Peralto reviewed footage from the surveillance cameras inside his home using an app on his home and saw his son lying motionless on the couch.

When he and his wife arrived home, the babysitter left.

Ryan was rushed to University Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with severe internal injuries and passed away the next day.

An autopsy later found that Ryan died from blunt force trauma to the head, chest and abdomen.

During interviews with the police, Courtney, a self-described ‘entertainer’ who had been watching Peralto’s two children since last August, allegedly admitted to inflicting some of the injuries on the child out of frustration.

The 22-year-old apparently had exploded in rage after Ryan came to her and said that he had urinated in his pants.

Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter
Laurren Courtney Las Vegas babysitter charged w/ murder of 5 yr old boy, Ryan James Peralto.

‘…tired of cleaning up after five year old’ 

‘[Courtney] stated this is a continual problem and she is tired of having to clean up after him multiple times, week after week,’ the report stated. ‘According to [Courtney], when Ryan urinated himself today, that was the final straw that triggered her anger.’

After initially denying any wrongdoing, Courtney allegedly admitted to shoving the five-year-old harder than she should have, which caused him to hit his head on the floor. 

She said she may have ‘blacked out’ and did not remember how he ended up in the bathroom. 

Courtney was also quoted as saying that she dragged Ryan from the bathroom to the living room and ‘popped’ him in the mouth, reported News3LV. She claimed to have been suffering from mental health issues. 

Police have not released the surveillance video capturing the attack but described the footage in the report, saying that Courtney kicked, slapped, punched and berated him over the course of 2 minutes. 

‘Officers observed [Courtney] pulling Ryan by one arm through the doorway of the bathroom,’ the report states. ‘Lauren (sic) states “I know you are faking it.” [Courtney] is observed kicking Ryan in the face with her foot, punching his face, and slap his chest. [Courtney] then takes off Ryan’s underwear and drags him into the shower.’ 

Emotionless when told 5 year old boy might die

In the video, Ryan does not react when kicked and his body appears limp. 

The report describes how Courtney allegedly struck the child several times, screamed at him and let him fall and hit his head again.

Towards the end of the recording, as described by the police, Ryan can be heard crying and in pain as Courtney turns on the shower and walks out.  

The woman’s boyfriend told police during an interview that after leaving the Peralto family’s home, Courtney picked up some food from McDonald’s for the two of them. 

Police said in the report that when investigators told her during an initial interview that Ryan may not survive, she expressed no emotion.  

Ryan’s father told reporters they found Courtney through word of mouth. Courtney babysat for both Ryan and his seven year old sister while their parents were at work from August, 2020.

Meanwhile, a friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the Peralto family lay their son to rest. 

‘His bright smile and contagious energy brightened up any room he entered,’ the description of the fundraiser read. ‘He was a wonderful, silly, and joyful little boy, who touched the lives of many with his energetic personality.’ 

Laurren Courtney is being held at the county jail without bail. She is due back in court on May 18.

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