A Lincoln woman has pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in a police investigation last year into allegations that her adult son, Joshua Tackett, had abused his girlfriend's young son, leaving him bruised, battered and brain dead, unable to wake up.
After learning her son would likely be investigated for the boy's injuries, Karen Vestecka went to his apartment and took out a gun in a gun case and a pair of Jordan shoes.
But police were watching his apartment and saw her do it.
On Tuesday, Vestecka, 60, pleaded guilty to the felony charge, plus a misdemeanor charge of false reporting, in connection to the death of 22-month-old Rudy Requejo-Ybarra, who was known as Junior to his family.
On March 12, 2023, Rudy's mother, Brittany Cook, waited more than four hours after finding him unable to wake before taking him to a Lincoln hospital.
He ultimately was flown to a hospital in Omaha, but it was too late for doctors to save him.
Cook and Tackett both ended up facing charges, as did Vestecka.
In July, a jury found Tackett guilty of child abuse resulting in Rudy's death and possession with intent to deliver marijuana in a school zone. But the jury acquitted him of the gun charges.
In August, a separate jury found Cook guilty of child abuse resulting in his death and in serious injury, for a previous injury for which she didn't seek medical help.
That same month, the Lancaster County Attorney's Office amended the charges against Vestecka, alleging she had been an accessory to child abuse resulting in death and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, in addition to the tampering charge.
Listen now and subscribe: | | | |
At a hearing that followed, her attorney, Mona Burton, argued that Vestecka had never met Rudy so knew nothing of the abuse and that she couldn't be tried for being an accessory to the gun charge because the jury had found Tackett not guilty of it.
But in an order Thursday, District Court Judge Andrew Jacobsen said the state had presented sufficient evidence for the charges to go forward against her and set an arraignment this week.
In court Tuesday, Vestecka instead pleaded guilty to a single felony, tampering with evidence, and the misdemeanor, in a deal with the prosecutors.
Lancaster County Deputy Attorney Amy Goodro said on the night of March 12, 2023, Lincoln police had been watching Tackett's apartment, waiting to get a warrant to search it, when Vestecka drove up, walked in empty-handed and came out with a gun case and shoes.
Goodro said when Vestecka made an improper turn, police stopped her and found a black Ruger AR 556 in the gun case and a pair of Jordan sneakers.Â
She said Vestecka said her son told her a baby who was living with him had a black eye, swollen ankle, "something on the back of his head" and bruising and that he didn't want to be involved in it.
Goodro said Vestecka knew his apartment likely would be searched and that he couldn't legally possess firearms, so she went to take them out for him because she didn't want him to get into trouble.
She took one out. Police found another under the bed. Neither belonged to Tackett, but they had been in his apartment for about a week, the prosecutor said.
Goodro said Vestecka also made a number of false statements to police in interviews that followed, including saying she didn't know where Tackett was.
Vestecka, who is being held in the county jail, will face up to three years of incarceration and a year of post-release supervision at her sentencing in December.
Tackett is set for sentencing next week, and Cook in November.