Miranda Casarez Texas stepmom sentenced to 25 years for deliberately starving 4 year old boy, Benji Cervera to death.
A Texas stepmother has been sentenced to 25 years jail for intentionally starving to death her 4-year-old stepson, including having forced the boy to drink urine, hand sanitizer and hot sauce. At the time of the child’s death, the boy weighed 28 pounds. A healthy 4 year old weighs 40-45 pounds.
Miranda Casarez was sentenced to the 25 year jail term on Thursday after being convicted of charges of injury to a child with serious bodily injury a day earlier.
The stepmom had been charged along with the boy’s father, who also faces the same charges for her role in the 2021 death of 4 year old boy, Benji Cervera. Brandon Cervera is still awaiting trial.
Stepmom filmed boy’s abuse
‘I hope instead of laughter you hear my son’s cries,’ Amy Flores Zepeda said on behalf of her sister, Benji’s biological mother, The San Antonio Express-News reported.
Prosecutor Michael Villareal accused Casarez of starving the boy and forcing him to drink urine, hand sanitizer and hot sauce, the Express-News reported.
During the trial, jurors watched videos of the boy from the days leading up to his death, recorded by Casarez, showing him crying and shaking uncontrollably and begging for bread and water.
Prosecutors shared text messages they said were between Casarez and her mother, showing she talked about deliberately withholding food from the boy. Prosecutors said she placed locks on the pantry and had cellphone video depicting abuse and the denial of nourishment.
After the guilty verdict, Casarez took the stand during the punishment phase to ask for mercy, agreeing that she should have done more to help Benji.
‘My plan was to leave with them,’ she said referring to the children she was raising with Benji’s father. ‘But of course they were not my biological kids, so then it would have been kidnapping. If I would have known it would have led to this, I would have took off with them.’
Cásarez denied hurting her stepson, said his father put the locks on the pantry and fridge, and that he controlled her. She said she loved the boy and even got a tattoo of his name and his date of birth and death after he died.
Her attorney, Anthony Cantrell, planned to appeal. He had argued for probation, saying Casarez loved children and had a difficult upbringing and volatile relationships.
‘I don’t think they even looked at the evidence,’ he said about the jury, Texas Public Radio reported. ‘They had to blame someone, and they blamed my client.’
Concerns had been raised about the boy’s health prior to his death, but despite involvement by Child Protective Services (CPS) and a hospital visit, the 4 year old was cleared, prosecutors said.
‘Death by starvation is horrible and unconscionable,’ Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in the statement. ‘This case paints a grim picture of neglect and abuse and highlights the urgency of justice for victimized children.’
