Jury sees images of 4-year-old boy’s decline
A San Antonio police homicide detective spent nearly all day on the witness stand describing dozens of photographs and videos showing the slow deterioration of a 4-yearold boy who authorities believe was starved to death.
Det. Lawrence Saiz said the images were taken from the cellphone of Miranda Casarez, 25, who is on trial in the death of Benjamin Cervera, her common-law husband’s son.
Several videos of the child, known as Benji, show him crying and begging for food — bread, pizza, water and milk.
Benjamin was unresponsive when Casarez took him to CHRISTUS San Antonio Children’s Hospital, where he died on Aug. 17, 2021.
Casarez and Brandon Lee Cervera each are charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, accused of withholding food and water and failing to seek proper medical care for Benjamin.
Crime scene evidence showed the couple had placed cameras in the kitchen and in the bedroom where Cervera’s two sons and Casarez’s son, all from previous relationships, slept. The bedroom and closet doors and the kitchen pantry and refrigerator all had locks on them.
In one video, Casarez can be heard saying, presumably to the child’s father, that Benji won’t stop crying, and at times he tries to hurt himself.
“I can’t take it anymore. He starts yelling and screaming and throwing himself (sic) because he wanted bread,” Casarez said, four days before the child’s death.
Prosecutors Michael Villarreal and Thomas Damico presented dozens of photographs with times and dates over a period of more than four months.
Dr. James Lukefahr, pediatrician and medical director at Childsafe at the children’s hospital and a child abuse expert, said the images clearly showed a severe decline that led to Benjamin’s death by starvation.
He said the child’s growth charts showed he was doing fine, with normal height and weight, until he turned 4.
“Pretty abruptly after his 4th birthday, his weight began to decline,” Lukefahr told the jury.
Defense attorney Anthony B. Cantrell attempted to discredit the testimony of both Saiz and Lukefahr, stating that Casarez cooperated, had held back none of the pictures and videos. He said Casarez did take the child to a doctor and was trying to point out that the child was not normal, possibly was autistic and had behavioral problems that could have led to Benji not wanting to eat.
The lengthy testimony Wednesday of Saiz and Lukefahr followed Tuesday’s introduction of videos that showed Benji crying, clasping his hands and begging for Casarez, whom he called “Mom,” to give him bread. Casarez had taken the video of Benjamin sitting unsecured in a car seat in her vehicle three hours before his death.
If convicted of the firstdegree felony, Casarez faces up to life in prison. Cervera, 30, is to be tried at a later date.