

Lauren and Jacob Maloberti charged with torture and beating death of 5 year old adoptive son, Landon. Adoptive parents sought to create Fundraiser to pay for their legal fees.
A Pennsylvania couple charged in connection to the beating death of their 5 year old adoptive son earlier this year were arrested on Wednesday. The couple’s arrest follows them posting a fundraiser purporting to pay for their adoptive son’s funeral expenses only to be steered towards their legal fees.
Landon Maloberti, died on February 7, a week after he was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital unconscious. Lauren Maloberti, 34, — the adoptive mother accused of killing him — and her husband, Jacob, are alleged to have created a GoFundMe page for their son (since taken down) two days after he was admitted to the hospital.
Wrote Lauren in part: ‘Tragedy struck our family when our precious baby boy went unresponsive. I rushed him to the ER and they intubated him and he’s been unresponsive ever since. the outcome is not looking good.’
Shocking injuries lead to police investigation
A forensic exam revealed that Landon had prior injuries and suffered abuse before his death. As a result, his adoptive mother and her husband were being investigated for child abuse leading up to his death, WPXI reported.
During questioning, the boy’s adoptive parents who had five other children, said Landon had been ‘wobbly from COVID a month prior.’
Hospital staff claimed Lauren showed no urgency when they arrived, despite the boy suffering 3 brain bleeds, with the couple waiting an entire day to get him medical attention.
Realizing that they were facing potential legal headwinds the couple set up a GoFundMe initially asking for help with legal fees and then funeral costs.
The fundraiser, which has since been removed, raised $5,350 with Lauren begging for sympathy before her adopted son died on February 7.
Adoptive parents ran fundraiser deflecting culpability while seeking funds in anticipation of legal expenses
Added Lauren’s fundraiser: ‘As we were in the hospital CPS took away our parental rights pending the investigation.
‘I’m devastated. We are devastated. We both need good attorneys. My kids are my world. Any little bit helps us as we navigate life right now with our new uncertainty.
‘Help us fight I can’t live without our kids. I’m already loosing my boy.’
The fundraiser was later updated to say they had to prepare for the ‘most unimaginable outcome’ and her heart was ‘breaking in a million pieces’.
An autopsy revealed the adoptive boy having died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head and neck.
Police said the child had multiple bruises on his body, could not breathe on his own and had rotational head trauma consistent with severe child abuse. One doctor described the abuse as ‘torture’.
‘I just want justice’
Both parents are accused of sending several text messages from April of 2022 until his death, which allegedly show disdain for Landon, with Lauren accused of saying she was ‘going to kill him’.
The Allegheny County Medical examiner determined the adoptive boy’s manner of death was a homicide.
Landon’s biological grandmother, Kathie Sheffler, told police she did not notice any signs of abuse until April of 2022 when Lauren no longer let her see Landon.
She claimed Lauren told her ‘he was bad’ and didn’t respond when she asked to see Landon over the holidays.
Jacob Maloberti, 33, has since been charged with homicide, child endangerment and aggravated assault. Lauren Maloberti faces the same charges as her husband, with an additional count of first-degree murder.
Both Lauren and Jacob Maloberti are being held in Westmoreland County Prison without bond and are scheduled to appear in court again on August 8.
The couple’s five children were removed from their parents care, with authorities saying they were safe, while declining to say whether all efforts and measures had been put in place that may have preempted the parents from allowing them to adopt.
Landon’s obituary stated he loved playing with monster trucks and cars, singing country music, and eating pickles.
Contemplated the boy’s grandmother: ‘It didn’t have to be like this. He was a sweet little boy. He didn’t have to die. I just want justice.’