Mother charged in death of 1-year-old girl in Port Isabel

PORT ISABEL, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Port Isabel woman who was arrested in connection to the death of her 1-year-old child was arraigned Tuesday morning.

Mariana Martinez Baltazar, 31, was arrested Monday on a charge of criminal negligent homicide, according to Lt. Juan Ramirez with the Port Isabel Police Department. Her bond was set at $35,000.

The 1-year-old was found dead at the 400 block of Martinez St. on April 18. Ramirez added that the child had "concussive hits," and Martinez Baltazar was under the influence of alcohol at the time.

According to Ramirez, this is a crime that can be committed without intent and done recklessly. Police added that preliminary information identified the woman as the child's mother.

Background

At 11:30 a.m. on April 18, police responded to a home at the 400 block of Martinez Street in Port Isabel where they found the child dead.

Port Isabel Police Chief Robert Lopez told ValleyCentral previously that officers responded to that same residence less than seven hours before, where a woman had fallen and claimed she needed medical attention. Lopez said that the child was still alive at that time.

Police arrested Denis De La Cruz, who lived at the residence, on a charge of assault family violence. He was later charged with a second count of assault, with police adding that he allegedly assaulted the child's mother and teenage daughter.