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New trial date set for man charged in death of 5-year-old girl

Trial for Jose Ruiz to begin Dec. 12

SAN ANTONIO – A new trial date has been set for a man charged in the death of a 5-year-old girl in 2022.

Jose Ruiz is one of two people charged in the death of Mercedes Losoya. The girl’s mother, Katrina Mendoza, is also charged in the case.

Mercedes Losoya (Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

In court on Monday, 187th District Court Judge Stephanie Boyd ordered for jury selection to start in the case on Dec. 12, with testimony to follow.

Ruiz, who is Mendoza‘s boyfriend, is accused of extreme physical abuse of Mercedes in February 2022.

The arrest affidavit stated that the girl had “visible bruises, scratches, cuts and swelling on almost every visible part of her body.”

A trial for Ruiz was expected to begin this month, but the judge allowed one final reset in the case to give the defense more time to prepare.

Mendoza has since agreed to a plea deal in exchange for her testimony against Ruiz, but hasn’t officially been sentenced yet.

If found guilty, Ruiz faces 5 to 99 years or life in prison.


About the Author
Erica Hernandez headshot

Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.

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