By JENNIFER SORENTRUE

Administrators at the elementary school that 8-year-old Tristan Allegra had attended since kindergarten said Saturday that there were no warning signs that the boy was in any danger.

Mariposa Elementary School Principal Craig Logue said Tristan was a “wonderful little boy” and a “very bright” student who had many friends and was adored by the school’s staff.

Despite his small stature, Tristan had a deep voice that set him apart from other students, Logue said.

“This is a child that meant a lot to all of us,” Logue said. “I can’t believe that I am going to walk in on (Jan.) 5th and Tristan is not going to be there. He was one of the boys I said good-bye to” before the winter break.

The third-grader was smothered to death by his mother, Eryn Allegra, as he slept in a hotel room on Christmas morning, according to Port St. Lucie police. She has been charged with first-degree murder.

“There was no hint we had that anything of this nature was remotely possible,” Logue said. “It is very disturbing.”

Grief counselors will be at Mariposa when school resumes on Jan. 5 to talk to students and parents of those in Tristan’s class, Logue said.

Allegra told Port St. Lucie police she had been having financial problems and had been contemplating killing herself and her son for months.

On Christmas Eve, Allegra and Tristan had dinner at Denny’s before checking into the Holiday Inn.

Allegra gave her son eight Advil pills and let him sleep for several hours before smothering him with a hotel pillow early Christmas morning, police said. She told police she let go when he stopped kicking.

Logue said Saturday that he had received many phone calls from parents who were shocked by the news.

“They just can’t believe what has happened and are very concerned,” Logue said.

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Tags: Allegra, christmas, Holiday Inn

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 10:30 pm and is filed under Community events, Crime, Port St. Lucie, Schools, Weird News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.