A week after a Utah teen was charged with murdering his girlfriend’s child, the girlfriend has been charged with allowing the abuse to occur

A week after a 17-year-old boy was charged with causing the death of his girlfriend’s toddler, the girlfriend has been charged with permitting the abuse to occur.

Gena Nicole Sanchez, 22, of West Valley City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with two counts of second-degree felony child abuse.

A summons was to be issued for Sanchez to appear in court on March 5 for an initial hearing.

Sanchez was allegedly present earlier this month when her boyfriend, 17-year-old Isaiah Weaver, spanked 21-month-old Jaycieion Sanchez with a heated clothes hanger, and also when he kicked and hit the boy.

Sanchez also witnessed Weaver hit Jaycieion’s 2-year-old brother in the mouth, according to charging documents.

Jaycieion died at Sanchez’s home on Jan. 16 from blunt force injury. The child suffered brain trauma indicative of head impacts and “vigorous shaking,” charges state.

Last week, Weaver was charged as an adult with first-degree felony aggravated murder. He also was charged with two counts of second-degree felony counts of child abuse in connection with injuries to Jaycieion and the 2-year-old boy.

Sanchez told police she had been dating Weaver, of Magna, for about 8 months and that he had been staying at her apartment for a month.

About two weeks before Jaycieion’s death, Weaver stopped working and had been watching the children, including a 5-year-old boy, while Sanchez worked, according to charging documents.

Sanchez told police that Weaver had seemed jealous of her relationship with Jaycieion, charges state.

She also told police she had “a weird feeling about going to work” on Jan. 16, but went “because they needed the money,” charges state.

At about 12:15 p.m. on Jan. 16, West Valley City police were called to the home, near 4600 South and 2900 West, to find Jaycieion unconscious. An hour later, he was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Inside the home, police found fresh droplets of blood on the walls, ceiling and many pieces of furniture in the bedroom shared by Weaver and Sanchez, charges state.

Weaver was arrested and booked into a juvenile detention center, but prosecutors last week filed a motion to have him moved to the adult jail.

A hearing is set for Tuesday to discuss the transfer request.