SAN ANTONIO – A 4-year-old boy who died of starvation is the center of a trial that began Tuesday.
As the trial began, Benjamin Cervera’s stepmother Miranda Casarez pleaded not guilty to a charge of injury to a child in front of a jury.
Casarez along with the little boy’s father, Brandon Cervera, were arrested and charged in the case after Benjamin died on Aug. 17, 2021.
Both were released on bond while awaiting trial.
During opening statements, the state detailed what they described as horrific abuse that Benjamin allegedly suffered.
The state said Casarez allegedly withheld food and water from Benjamin and even recorded a video on her phone of him crying and begging for bread.
In the video clip shown in court, Benjamin is sitting in the backseat of the car and is crying saying, “I want bread.” Casarez can be heard telling him to sit back and you briefly see the side of her face before the video is cut off.
The video was taken the morning of Aug. 17, 2021, just hours before he was taken to the hospital and died from what has been ruled as starvation.
Jurors also were shown photos from inside the family’s apartment showing all cabinets and the refrigerator with locking devices on them. In the room Benjamin shared with his siblings, there were also locking devices on the closet door.
The state said that a security camera from inside the home captured Benjamin trying to look for food at night.
Casarez was seen crying in court as photos of Benjamin in the hospital were shown to the jury.
The little boy had bruising on several areas of his body.
Brandon Cervera is still awaiting his future trial date which hasn’t been set yet.
Both Cervera and Casarez face up to life in prison if found guilty.
Testimony will resume on Wednesday morning.