Family of strangled ten-year-old boy speak out

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Posted 1:59 PM 2/7/2013 : Strangled son dies

UPDATE: The 10-year-old who was strangled by his mother died Thursday, Tucson Police spokesman Sgt. Chris Widmer said.

The boy was strangled Jan. 30. The mother of the boy told police in the ensuing 911 call that she had choked her son.

The boy remained in the hospital until Thursday, where he succumbed to his injuries, Widmer said.

TUCSON-Family members of a 10-year-old boy strangled with a cord are praying for his recovery.

The boy's mom is in jail charged with attempted first degree murder and child abuse.

The family is speaking out tonight only on News 4 Tucson.

Jean Cataline's family friend from the Philippines said she's not capable of such a thing, but one of the boy's aunts has a different story.

"She was unstable," said Kelly Cataline.

Cataline is the boy's aunt on his father's side.

She said she talked to her brother on a weekly basis before he died in December.

Cataline said her brother told her he was worried about Jean.

She claims he told her Jean was depressed and not her normal self.

"I thought more that she would hurt hurself than hurt the children," said Cataline.

After he died, Cataline worried that Jean wouldn't be able to care for the kids and thought of taking action but, "You can't just take someone's child from them because you feel--because she hadn't done anything at that point," she said.

Jean's friends have come to her defense saying she was depressed and worried about the future.

"I just feel like I could have done something if I would have known what she was capable of or that she felt that sad, or if I would have known--and I didn't know, and I don't know what I could have done," said Sarah Robinson in tears.

But Cataline said she doesn't believe it was depression or financial troubles that made Jean snap.

"My personal opinion is she planned it. That's just my opinion," said Cataline.

Aleth Allen, a friend of Cataline's family from the Philippines disagrees.

"No no no not at all not at all," she said. "It was a horrible tragedy in the family."

She said she talked to Jean over the phone on a weekly basis.

"She never thought about harming her kids," said Allen.

She still can't come to grips with what happened.

"I just don't know what happened that day with that son. Why would she do it?" she said.

The ten-year-old is still in critical condition.

Both families are asking the community for prayers.