Deputies arrest gang member in near fatal baby beating

November 08, 2010 12:09 PM
By JARED TAYLOR, The Monitor


NEAR EDINBURG — Deputies arrested a gang member accused of beating his girlfriend's 10-month old baby, who remains in a coma and may not survive.

Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies responded to Doctor's Hospital at Rennaisance about 8 p.m. Friday after doctors admitted a severely beaten 10-month-old baby girl.

The child, Destiny Barrientos, suffered a ruptured spleen and pancreas, severed intestines and blunt trauma to her head, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño said in a statement.

Deputies went to the baby's house at 15400 Lilac St., northeast of Edinburg. There, they identified the baby's mother, Veronica Solis and her boyfriend, Valluco gang member Jose Reyna, as the suspects in the case.

Investigators found that baby Destiny arrived at the hospital about 2 p.m. Friday. Hospital officials called Child Protective Services about 5 p.m. Friday, which finally contacted sheriff's deputies about three hours later, Treviño said.

"The six hour delay ... provided the main suspect Jose Reyna ample opportunity to alter the crime scene and flee to avoid apprehension," the sheriff wrote in a statement.

Deputies arrested Reyna after an all-night search by the sheriff's gang unit and other investigators. He was initially arrested on a parole violation, but is set to be charged with injury to a child Monday afternoon.

Investigators continue to investigate Solis and anticipate charging her with injury to a child, as well, the sheriff said.

Injury to a child is a first degree felony punishable by up to life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine upon conviction.

Destiny remains in a coma and is on life support, Treviño said. The child has minimal brain activity and is not expected to recover.

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