CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Authorities have shared new details with 3NEWS about what lead up to the death of an infant at the Oso Bay Apartments on Friday, Oct. 18 at about 8:20 p.m.
A CCPD detective's probable cause statement reveals that the child's father, Juan Castro admitted to feeding his children formula before laying down to sleep in the same bed, despite the fact that the four-month-old often spits up or vomits after drinking her formula.
Castro is apparently known by his family and friends to be a deep sleeper who is incredibly hard to wake up, which police later stated played a factor in his charges, as he did not indicate that he took any precautions to ensure the safety of his children before falling asleep.
When asked if he thought his daughter could have vomited in her sleep, he said 'no,' but mentioned that he had a pink blanket on the headboard that may have fallen onto the infant while they slept.
The detective stated in the report that a consent to search the scene revealed a pink blanket that appeared to be stained in blood and mucus. Authorities noted that Castro had similar stains on both of his armpits and his sleeves.
The father reportedly told police they were from the blood and mucus coming from his daughter's mouth when he found her unconscious.
Police pointed out to Castro- who did not yet know that his daughter was dead-- that at that point, he had not asked about well-being of his child.
"During the interview, Juan never initiated a discussion about how Alani was doing or expressed concern for where she was or when he could see her," read the report.
The father still did not ask about his daughter's welfare, according to authorities. He apparently claimed to police at that point that he had been asking other officers about the four-month-old.
Asking police for something to eat
Investigators claimed that as they stepped out to take a break from the interview, Castro asked for something to eat.
Detectives said they brought him chips and a bottle of water before telling him that his daughter had died.
The report states that the father stopped eating the chips for a moment and held his head in his hands, but police did not witness any tears coming from his eyes.
"Juan's sobbing appeared forced and unnatural," the detective's report states.
The detectives then excused themselves from the interview room once again and began observing him via a live recording where they witnessed him resume snacking on the chips, finish the bag and dump the crumbs into his mouth.
Witnesses told police that they had been knocking on the father's door on and off starting at around 6 p.m. Eventually, they had to wake the father by jumping the fence of his patio and pulling open a boarded-up window to kick the frame of his bed, where they reported seeing Castro lying unconscious. It was only after he let them in that the four-month-old was discovered unconscious and medics were called. She was covered in a liquid that smelled like bile, according to the report.
The report concludes by stating that Juan Castro 'recklessly caused serious bodily injury and death' to Alani Castro. He was arrested under those charges.
This is a developing story, check back with 3NEWS for updates.
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