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Yalitza Macias accused of killing 2-month-old son back in court
Yalitza Macias, 27, and her son’s father, Lionel Guerrero, 33, were arrested toward the end of March. This comes nearly six months after their son’s death.
HOUSTON - A woman charged in the death of her 2-month-old son returned to court Tuesday.
BACKGROUND: Houston parents charged after 2-month-old baby's death in October
Yalitza Macias, 27, and Lionel Guerrero, 33, were arrested last week and charged with injury to a child-serious bodily injury in connection with their son's death.
Lionel Guerrero (left); Yalitza Macias (right) (Photos: Houston Police Department)
On Tuesday, a judge ruled that if Guerrero were to make bond, Macias would not be allowed to have any contact with her son's father.
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In October 2022, Houston Police said Guerrero and Macias told investigators they were sleeping and woke up to find their 3-month-old son not breathing.
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It happened around 8:30 AM on the 6500 block of Beekman Road in South Houston. However, investigators said an autopsy later revealed the newborn had suffered a number of internal injuries including broken ribs and a skull fracture.
"Either they caused the injury themselves or they failed to protect the 2-month-old complainant from the other’s physical abuse and also didn’t seek timely and appropriate medical attention," said Gilbert Sawtelle, Chief Prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney's Child Fatalities Dept.
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Sawtelle said Guerrero has a lengthy criminal record and has gang ties.
According to documents from the Department of Family and Protective Services, disturbing details reveal this isn’t the first time Macias and Guerrero have been accused of child abuse.
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The couple evidently had a total of four kids over the course of seven years. DFPS said one of those kids is now dead, and two were taken into CPS custody and are now in foster care. Another child was adopted by another family member, according to DFPS.
"They’ve been living together for quite a while now," Sawtelle said. "They were even living together in 2016 when they had a 4-month-old who had similar injuries including a skull fracture, rib fractures, and long bone fractures, so very similar injuries on very similar aged children."
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"That case will be presented to a grand jury when I indict the current cases and if the grand jury feels like there’s probable cause on that 2016 case, that could be filed as well," he added.
Guerrero's bond condition is set to be addressed in court on Thursday.
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April is child abuse prevention month. DFPS said anyone can report complaints to the Texas Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or online at txabusehotline.org