SAN ANTONIO – An arrest warrant affidavit details a disturbing case of child abuse which San Antonio police believe led to the death of a four-year-old boy.
It says Benjamin Cervera was seen on cell phone video, begging for bread and water.
Affidavit: Cellphone video leads to arrest in deadly child starvation case
He died in August of last year.
The boy’s father, Brandon Cervera, 28, was arrested Thursday on a charge of injury to a child.
The affidavit says the case came to light after Benjamin became unresponsive and was rushed to a hospital August 17.
It says staff there noticed bruises in various stages of healing on his body and notified San Antonio police.
During their investigation, police obtained cell phone video from a family member, showing the child begging for bread and water, and on one occasion, being made to drink hand sanitizer, the affidavit says.
That court document says investigators also went to the family’s home where they found locks on the refrigerator, cabinets and pantry, as well as on the door of the bedroom where Benjamin slept.
It says the only furniture inside that room was a urine-stained mattress on the floor.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner determined, based on Benjamin’s undernourished and underweight body, that he died of starvation, the affidavit says.
Although that document indicates that police believe there was a second person involved, Brandon Cervera is the only person who has been arrested so far.