Man Accused of Strangling 5-Year-Old Boy Goes Before Judge


Reported by: Erica Proffer
Last Update: 6/30 5:44 pm

MISSION - The man accused of beating and strangling a 5-year-old boy to death showed no emotion as he went before a judge Thursday.

He sat quietly shackled waiting for the judge. When time came to speak, he didn't talk about the crime. Juan Jose Ruiz appeared to pray before facing his charges.

Ruiz told police he strangled and beat his 5-year-old stepson at a Mission construction site. That's where Ruiz was working. Ruiz told investigators the child was sick. Andres Manuel Ortiz kept throwing up. It made Ruiz mad.

Ruiz said he kept punching the child in the stomach then strangled the little boy. The boy tried to get away. Ruiz said he kept applying pressure to the child's neck.

The judge asked Ruiz if he had an attorney. Ruiz used his time to speak to complain about how police treated him.

"They didn't give me a phone call. I haven't talked to my family to see if they can get me a lawyer. I want to talk to my family first,â€