A 23-year-old man from Donna accused of killing his 3-year-old daughter is set to be arraigned next week after being charged last month.
Jose Manuel Uresti is accused of killing his daughter, Sophie Sky Uresti, last November.
He was indicted on February 13 for capital murder of a person under the age of ten, murder, two counts of child injury, and aggravated assault on a family member resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to a news release, at 4:34 p.m. on Nov. 21, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call reporting an unconscious kid in the 9700 block of Klarissa Drive in rural Donna.
The kid was transported to South Texas Health System Children’s in Edinburg, where she was pronounced dead at 5:32 p.m.
According to the announcement, a preliminary investigation revealed that the youngster sustained serious injuries, including bruises, lacerations, burns, and bite marks, indicating long-term abuse.
Wendy Sarai Rivera, the child’s mother, revealed to police that she was aware of the injuries but neglected to disclose them, leading to her arrest and charges of failure to report a felony and injury to a child.
At the time, Uresti was still wanted for interrogation.
He was apprehended a few days later by the United States Marshals Service’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force at the Anzalduas International Bridge.
During a press conference, Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. “Eddie” Guerra stated that Uresti’s family urged him to surrender after he escaped to Rio Bravo, Mexico.
Guerra reported that when deputies arrived, they discovered the three-year-old choking and motionless, while Rivera and a witness performed CPR on the youngster.
He further stated that Rivera informed investigators that Uresti had dropped her off at the site to do her nails, and it was there that the infant stopped breathing and swelled up. Guerra claimed Rivera phoned Uresti, who attempted to force them into the car when he came, but they fought, and he fled.
Following his arrest, Uresti told detectives that he punched and bit the girl multiple times and that he slapped her in the face to discipline her, knocking her unconscious. Guerra explained that he would shake her until she regained consciousness.
The sheriff also stated that the abuse began that day at Rivera and Uresti’s mobile home in the 130 block of El Dorado Road in rural Donna.
An autopsy revealed that the youngster died from blunt force trauma.
According to jail records, Uresti and Rivera are still serving $750,000 and $2.5 million sentences, respectively.