Burgettstown man pleads guilty to killing 3-year-old in Coraopolis

A Burgettstown man pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree murder for the beating death of a 3-year-old boy last year in Coraopolis.

Aiden Lombardi died on Feb. 3, 2021, a day after police said he was beaten by Tyler Scott Mason.

Mason, 27, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kelly Bigley on Sept. 19. In addition to third-degree murder, he also pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of children.

A criminal complaint filed in the case said Mason had been dating Aiden’s mother for about two months. She left her son home with him around 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2021, so she could drive her friends and their children home to Emsworth.

When she left that evening, she told police that Aiden had just woken up from sleeping on the couch.

She said Mason called her a short time later saying that the boy would not wake up and his breathing was shallow. Minutes after that, Mason called again and was “hysterical,” police said. Aiden’s mother then called 911.

When paramedics arrived, Aiden had bruising on his forehead, right eyelid and jawline and “significant” bruising to his left ear, the criminal complaint said. He was unresponsive, in cardiac arrest and had no pulse, the complaint said.

Doctors at Heritage Valley Sewickley said Aiden had a fractured skull and brain bleed. He was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital and died the next day.

Police said Mason told them that when Aiden woke up he was fussy, so he gave him water and then chocolate milk.

The complaint said neighbors told police that they heard Aiden screaming from inside the apartment. One witness said they heard three loud screams, and another said there were four screams that sounded like Aiden was in pain. After that, the witness said, it was silent.