Boyfriend of mother charged in death of her infant son pleads guilty to aiding charge

The boyfriend of a mother who is charged in the death of her infant son pleaded guilty to an aiding an offender charge on Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

The plea deal for Edwin Cosmo Trudeau, 19, includes a sentence of up to 86 months, which will be determined at this sentencing on May 5.

8-month-old Mateo’s mother, Esperanza Harding, pleaded guilty to a second-degree intentional murder charge and is set to be sentenced on March 6.

As previously reported, Harding is accused of drowning Mateo in a hotel bathroom and then putting the child’s body in a backpack in a dumpster on Feb. 28, 2024.

She told police that her boyfriend, Trudeau, didn’t like the baby and said it was his idea to put the infant’s body in the dumpster and not tell anyone, court documents state.

“My thoughts are with Mateo’s family,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement on Monday. “This was a devastating act that Mr. Trudeau attempted to help conceal. While nothing brings Mateo back to his family, both Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Harding are being held accountable for their actions.”