Deer Park man sentenced to 50 years in prison for felony injury to a child

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - A Deer Park man was sentenced to 50 years in prison by a Harris County Judge Wednesday afternoon for injuring two children, one of which later died. 

Investigators say Austin Reid, 25, pled guilty to the two felony charges, but was reported missing when he removed his ankle monitor and fled to Colorado in March. Reid was later arrested and extradited back to Texas when he was arrested and charged with eight additional crimes in Colorado.  

SUGGESTED: Chapel Hill ISD teacher arrested for alleged involvement in promotion of child porngraphy

More than two dozen people who sat in on the sentencing hearing for Austin Reid Wednesday wearing wristbands that said 'Stand Up For the Children.' The group which advocates against child abuse, audibly celebrated when the judge read the maximum 50-year sentence for Reid, saying that justice was served. 

Reid will now spend the next 50 years in prison. He will be eligible for parole after 25. He pleaded guilty to two counts of felony injury to a child in November 2022. 

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE

Authorities said one of the children, his girlfriends’ son, 2-year-old Lucas, died in 2019. Authorities said Reid’s biological newborn, Elliott, suffered similar bruising and head injuries nine months later.

In court, attorneys discussed in detail Reid’s history of drug use, including meth and his struggle with mental health issues.

Reid sat in court Wednesday as prosecutors and defense attorneys called multiple witnesses to the stand, including law enforcement investigators who dealt with the case and several members of his own family.

Lucas’ dad Ryan Samora said he felt that Reid was not remorseful for his actions as he did not look to the family once during the hearing.