SAN ANTONIO – The trial for Brandon Cervera, a man accused in the starvation death of his 4-year-old son, Benjamin Cervera, is set to begin Tuesday in the 186th District Court.
Brandon Cervera faces a charge of injury to a child, the same charge his ex-wife, Miranda Casarez, was convicted of earlier this year.
Benjamin was found unresponsive on Aug. 17, 2021, after Casarez attempted to take him to a hospital. The boy did not survive, and doctors were immediately concerned about his weight. Police were called to investigate, leading to the discovery of disturbing conditions in the family’s home.
Inside the residence, officers reported that all the food was locked away, and the children’s room was secured with locks, gates and surveillance cameras.
An autopsy later confirmed that Benjamin died from starvation. Both Cervera and Casarez were arrested and charged with injury to a child.
During Casarez’s trial, which concluded with her being sentenced to 25 years in prison, graphic details of the child’s abuse were revealed, including cellphone footage showing Benjamin crying and asking for food.
While the defense argued that Benjamin didn’t die from starvation and that Brandon Cervera controlled the situation, the jury found her guilty.
Now, Brandon Cervera awaits his own trial, which could further uncover what role he played in Benjamin’s death.
If convicted, Brandon Cervera faces up to life in prison.
Testimony is set to begin Tuesday.
KSAT 12 will livestream this trial gavel to gavel. You can watch the trial on KSAT.com, KSAT Plus and KSAT’s YouTube channel. Viewers are advised that some details revealed during the proceedings may be disturbing.