Mother of ‘baby James’ faces 3 felony charges in his death
Reaneille Chairez, the San Antonio mother under suspicion in the death of her toddler, known as “baby James,” was charged Monday with three counts of injury to a child.
Brandishing a copy of the new indictment, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales announced the new charges shortly after a judge sentenced Chairez, to five years in prison on an earlier tampering with evidence charge.
Chairez, 21, was convicted of concealing James Avi Chairez, 18 months old, while police searched for the boy early in 2021, and during a Child Protective Services investigation.
The new indictment accused Chairez of “intentionally and knowingly” causing serious bodily injury to James, “by manner and means unknown to the grand jury,” the document states.
She also is charged with serious bodily injury by omission, and causing serious bodily injury during the commission of an assault with a deadly weapon, “an object and means” also unknown to the grand jury, the document states.
Chairez pleaded no contest May 12 to one count of tampering with evidence as part of a plea agreement reached between prosecutor Joshua Sandoval and defense attorney William Simmons.
Other charges were waived by the state. State District Judge Michael Mery sentenced her Monday.
Gonzales, flanked by James’ aunt, Mariesol Benavidez-gomez, and other relatives, said following the sentencing that Chairez likely “will probably stay put” in the Bexar County jail as the new case makes its way through the court system.
The three counts are first ded’lanny gree felonies.
“We have every intention of going forward and seeking justice for young baby James,” Gonzales said. “We have been working on this for a long time, law enforcement has done a good job of putting this case together, and we are going to move forward from here.”
Mother and son were last seen together on security footage taken from a Walgreens drug store in the 7100 block of Marbach Road on Jan. 4, 2021. Family members reported the pair missing in February.
A month after they disappeared, authorities released surveillance video from Feb. 21, 2021, taken from another Walgreens location and a VIA bus station near U.S. 90 and Southwest Military Drive, that captured Chairez by herself.
Chairez was located March 15, 2021, but the toddler was not with her. She was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child, and tampering with evidence.
San Antonio police said at the time that Chairez would not answer questions about James’ whereabouts. She told them she was not ready to be a mother, considered putting James up
for adoption, and said she was dealing with mental health issues.
An affidavit that supported her arrest indicated Chairez had said she wanted the boy “to be in a better place.”
San Antonio police and the FBI found human remains April 28, 2021, that later were identified as James at a mobile home that mother and son shared with an aunt in the 7600 block of West Military Drive
Benavidez-gomez said she was encouraged with the new indictment.
“Justice is bringing James back, but we know that is not going to happen,” she said. “Her (Chairez) not being able to walk around is justice.”
The new charges will be filed in the 144th District Court and a trial setting is pending. If convicted, Chairez faces up to life in prison.