A 23-year-old man from Donna is currently in custody without bond in connection with the death of his 3-year-old daughter, who has been identified by authorities as a victim of child abuse.
Jose Manuel Uresti, facing charges of capital murder involving a child under 10, appeared in court for the first time on Monday at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center.
He faces charges alongside the child’s mother, 25-year-old Wendy Sarai Rivera, who is accused of failing to report a felony and causing injury to a child. She is still in custody with a bond set at $2.5 million.
When they arrived, Guerra reported that the 3-year-old was choking and unresponsive, while Rivera and a witness were administering CPR to the child. Deputies provided assistance until EMS arrived, who then transported the mother and child to South Texas Health System Children’s in Edinburg.
Rivera informed officials that Uresti had taken her to the spot for a nail appointment, and while she was there, the child suddenly stopped breathing and showed signs of swelling. On Monday, Guerra reported that Rivera contacted Uresti, who then showed up at the scene and attempted to coerce her and the child into his vehicle. According to Guerra, they put up a fight and he ran away.
At the hospital, officials discovered that the child had bruises on her face, legs, and torso, along with burn and bite marks on her leg and chest. According to Guerra, the child sustained lacerations as well.
After his arrest, Uresti informed investigators that he physically assaulted the child multiple times the previous Thursday. He claimed he struck the child in the face as a form of discipline, resulting in her losing consciousness. The child regained consciousness after being shaken, Guerra reported.
The child was declared deceased last Thursday at 5:32 p.m., with an autopsy revealing the cause as blunt force trauma.