SAN ANTONIO – A woman who was taking care of a 3-year-old girl in 2022 was sentenced to 18 years in prison in the child’s death.
Evonne Perez was in tears as she accepted a plea deal in court Wednesday.
Perez took Ronni Salazar, 3, to the hospital when she was unresponsive. The child later died from injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head.
During her hearing, Perez said Ronni had fallen down some stairs and hit her head. Perez admitted to not taking the little girl to get checked by the doctor.
At the time, Perez was caring for Ronni and her brother to help her mother, who was going through a tough time.
The brother had no injuries and was taken into state custody at the time of Ronni’s death.
That mother was in court to give a victim impact statement. She said she hopes Perez finds peace within herself for what she did.
Perez was expected to go to trial this week but instead went with the last-minute plea deal offered.
Last year, Perez asked for a bond reduction due to declining health following attacks in jail. One of those attacks left her in a wheelchair. Her bond reduction was denied.
Perez will now serve her time in a Texas prison.
She is eligible for parole after serving half her sentence.