Mother arrested, 4 family members detained after death of one-year-old toddler in Juárez

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) - Authorities in the state of Chihuahua arrested the mother of the 18-month-old boy who was found dead on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez on March 10.

They also arrested the father, Bryan Adrián S.A., 38, from El Paso, the grandmother, Ericka H.G., 44, the great-grandmother, Vianey G.V., 70 and an uncle, Raúl Rosendo H.G., 48, in connection with the child's death. Another child, two years and seven months old, was found with the family; he was taken to the Integral Family Development Department (DIF) to be evaluated, medically examined, and placed in protective custody.

Chihuahua State Police and other local, state and federal agencies arrested the 23-year-old mother, Vianey Esmeralda H.G., of Eitán Daniel, who was found dead inside a plastic bag that was allegedly dumped at an abandoned land two weeks ago.

Chihuahua State Police Chief Gilberto Loya confirmed to local media today the identity of Eitán Daniel and along with Chihuahua Deputy Attorney General in Juárez, Carlos Manuel Salas, said Eitán's mom left her house with his body already inside a plastic bag.

"I believe this is one of those things—well, there is no other word for it—one of the most horrific things one can witness, and something that could happen to anyone; and I say this as a father," said Chihuahua’s Secretary of Public Safety, Loya. "I am the father of a five-year-old boy—he is my youngest—and I believe that things like this are matters that, naturally, deeply distress the entire community here in Juárez and throughout the state."

According to Chihuahua Police Chief Loya, Eitán's body had signs of both physical and sexual abuse when it was found. The Chihuahua Medical Examiner's Office (SEMEFO), along with the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office (FGE) are handling the investigation.

On March 10, a 911 emergency call was made reporting the discovery of a bag containing what appeared to be abandoned human remains in a vacant lot in the Kilómetros zone in Ciudad Juárez, according to Chief Loya.

A specialized task force was established, comprising detectives from the Chihuahua State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE), investigative agents from the State Investigation Agency (AEI, specifically from the Unit for Crimes Against Life), and tactical analysts from the Centinela Platform, along with the direct collaboration of the Local Search Commission.

"Our goal was to locate those responsible for this horrendous crime that took place here in the city—here in Ciudad Juárez," Chief Loya added.

The SSPE Chihuahua Sentinel platform was used to learn how this crime was committed and according to Loya and Salas, the mother allegedly took four buses and one Uber before she dumped the bag with his body on an abandoned land south of the city.

"Thanks to this, we were able to identify the probable perpetrators, who are currently detained and facing prosecution. Among them are the minor's father, a native or resident of El Paso, Texas, and the minor's mother. We also took into custody the minor's grandmother, the minor's great-grandmother, and an uncle." "All of these individuals will ultimately be held accountable for the crimes attributed to them as they have been detained on charges involving various offenses, such as resisting arrest or creating conditions designed to impede their apprehension," Chief Loya also said.

Chihuahua State officials determined that they had learned that the conduct leading to this homicide was a pattern of repeated behavior, since it was not an act committed on a single, isolated occasion; it had happened several times before. Chief Loya said they believe Eitán Daniel had a series of injuries and excoriations that were on the verge of healing and a series of marks that strongly suggested the minor had been bound for prolonged periods of time.

"With this, I wish to reiterate that the State Secretariat of Public Safety maintains a firm and clear stance: to defend the family and to uphold a policy of zero tolerance toward violence against children and teenagers. Every instance of violence against a child or adolescent will be thoroughly investigated; every individual responsible for causing harm or committing a crime against a child or a teen will be sought out and apprehended; and every victim will receive justice here in the State of Chihuahua," Chief Loya added. "The case of Eitan Daniel will not be forgotten; today, those responsible for his case have been identified and will face the full weight of the law."

According to Chief Loya, the father of Eitán had ties with previous crimes against public health, or drug possession; authorities found drugs when they detained Eitán's family members, according to them.

"What emerged in the initial statement, which was subsequently incorporated into the investigative file, is that the violence inflicted upon Eitán occurred within contexts characterized, essentially, by a low tolerance for the normal behaviors of a one-year-and-six-month-old child: crying when hungry and seeking attention from his parents," Chief Loya also said.

Chihuahua’s Deputy Attorney General, or District Attorney for Juárez, Carlos Manuel Salas, said that investigations are ongoing and that authorities plan to bring the mother before a judge in the coming days to formally charge her with aggravated homicide.

A nearby establishment provided the A.G.'s Office with surveillance footage showing a woman—allegedly the mother—abandoning a bag at the location where the young child’s body was found; this material, combined with other recordings from street-level security cameras in Juárez, helped authorities locate her.

Chihuahua D.A. Salas said that investigators want to know what led the family to unleash that level of extreme violence against a child.

"The level of violence against minors is deeply regrettable; what happened to this child under two years old was terrible, terrible," said Chihuahua D.A. Salas. "The mother was already carrying the child's dead body in a bag; he had already been killed with horrific violence and it was unfortunate to learn what happened to Eitán once his body was found."

Chihuahua officials are investigating whether the parents had drug addiction problems, whether they used drugs or not, and whether they had a history of drug use.