Affidavit: Cellphone video leads to arrest in deadly child starvation case
On Thursday, a man was taken into custody for reportedly abusing a four-year-old boy who was tortured and later died. A first-degree felony charge of Injury to a Child was filed against 28-year-old Brandon Lee Cervera.
Benjamin Cervera, 4, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio on Aug. 17, 2021, after a nurse became extremely worried about the severity of his injuries. The youngster was malnourished and badly bruised, many of which were still healing.
A homicide detective was called in after Benjamin passes away before police could arrive.
Benjamin was described by detectives as being extremely thin and underweight for his age. Detectives also noted that he was wearing only a disposable diaper, which was strange for a child of his age.
Cervera informed investigators that Benjamin had inflicted the wounds on his own body. Relatives who were staying in the apartment were said to have taken cell phone photos and videos of Benjamin “hitting himself on the head with his hands and requesting bread,” according to reports.
According to the police report, an autopsy revealed that none of Benjamin’s injuries contributed to his death and that many of the injuries were also not self-inflicted and there were evidence of physical abuse.
Police found locks on the refrigerator, pantry door, and Benjamin’s bedroom door after obtaining a search warrant and conducting a thorough search of the apartment.
More troubling images and videos were discovered on the relative’s mobile, including a picture of Benjamin’s badly bruised and swollen eyes, as well as a video of the child “shaking uncontrollably, crying, and begging for bread and water” and being denied by Cervera and the other close relative.
When he wasn’t allowed to use his hands, another video showed Benjamin being forced to eat breadcrumbs off the floor of the bathroom. Additionally, according to the arrest report, Benjamin was made to drink hand sanitizer and was observed “begging for water while crying and waving his hand in front of his mouth saying it was burning.”
Videos and pictures also revealed Benjamin’s physical downfall before his death, which was ruled to be starvation.
Boy who died of starvation begged for bread and water, affidavit says
Bond for Cervera’s release from the Bexar County Jail in San Antonio is set at $500,000.
Source: FOX29
