MONROE — The Lafayette County parents charged with killing their infant child late last year have pleaded not guilty to murder charges in circuit court.

The accused, Maria Guadulupe Atlahua-Aguas, 23, and Azariel Aguilar-Gonzalez, 24, both of Belmont, appeared in Lafayette County Circuit in separate hearings, each charged with first-degree reckless homicide and felony abuse of a child.

The ‘not guilty’ pleas came in a hearing that included, by remote video link, a representative of the Mexican Consulate. 

The case came to light on Dec. 23, 2023, the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a potential child abuse case from a family in the Village of Belmont. The parents of an infant had been arrested at UW Hospital in Madison, after the baby died there Dec. 27. An investigation was launched by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.  

As a result, they both are charged with first-degree reckless homicide and physical abuse of a child/repeated acts causing great bodily harm — both as a party to a crime. The court earlier set bond for each of the parents at $1 million — provided they not leave the state, have no contact with each other (co-defendants), no contact with Gavito Atlahua-Aguas; and GPS monitoring, if they make bail. 

The Sheriff’s Office was also assisted in the investigation by the Belmont Police Department, Darlington Police Department and Dane County Sheriff’s Office.