El Paso father standing trial, accused of murdering 2-month-old daughter
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Jose Angel Varela is in court this week, accused of murdering his 2-month-old daughter in February of 2017.
According to court documents, Varela was taking care of the girl, Velma, and his 2-year-old son. The mother of the children was taking a break and slept in a different room the night of Velma's death.
The mother told detectives that when she woke up the next morning, she immediately noticed that Velma was dead.
Police were called in to investigate. They interrogated Varela the next day. He told investigators that he did not know how Velma was injured, suggesting he may have put her down to bed too hard or rolled onto her as he slept. However, detectives say that Velma's autopsy is not consistent with those theories. The medical examiner found Velma had sustained a large skull fracture and hemorrhaging. The autopsy found the baby would have shown immediate symptoms and lost consciousness soon after being injured.
Court documents state the murder happened in a mobile home in Far East El Paso.
Varela's trial started Tuesday. ABC-7 will bring you complete team coverage of the trial until the jury hands down its verdict.
