Teen charged with capital murder in death of infant son

BROWNSVILLE — Police here have arrested a teenager in the beating death of his 1-month-old son.

Israel Avila, 17, was arrested Monday afternoon. He was later charged with capital murder because the victim, Marco Avila, was under the age of 6, said Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique, a Brownsville police spokesman.

Israel Avila appeared before Municipal Judge Rene De Coss on Tuesday morning. Sobs and moans could be heard as the accused made his way from a cell into the courtroom, his shackles clanking as he walked.

Defense attorney Fred Kowalski told De Coss that Avila has mental health issues and asked the judge to consider that when setting bond.

The judge set bond at $1 million and sent Avila to the Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito.

Police began investigating the man Monday morning after Valley Regional Medical Center-Brownsville notified them of a baby in critical condition with obvious signs of physical abuse, Manrrique said.

“According to the physicians, the child was suffering from blunt-force trauma,” he said. “The initial observation was that the baby was bleeding from the brain, had bruising and contusions throughout the face and had a broken collarbone.”

Avila originally had been arrested and charged with injury to a child; however, as the child’s condition worsened, police began considering the maximum charge.

“The child was under such distress that he was transported to the children’s hospital in Valley Baptist (Medical Center)-Harlingen,” Manrrique said. “At approximately 3:40 p.m. (Monday) the child died from his injuries. At that point (Avila) was charged with capital murder because he is directly responsible for the death of a child under the age of 6 years old.”

The child’s mother — Avila’s common-law wife — had him in charge of the baby at their home on the 100 block of San Eugenio Street while she dropped off her mother at work, police said.

“He called (the wife) telling her there was something wrong with the baby,” Manrrique said. “During our interview, under his own admission, he stated that the child was very irritable throughout the night. Once the mother left the home, the child continued to be irritable, and in his own words, he lost it.”

Police wouldn’t elaborate on how and with what the child was beaten. However, police said Avila “mainly” used his hands.

The father grasped the infant’s head while he forcefully shoved a pacifier into the baby’s mouth to keep him from crying, police said.

“He is only 17 years old and obviously didn’t have the parenting skills needed to deal with a baby,” Manrrique said. “However, this will not affect our investigation. The focus of the investigation will be on the victim. We will seek justice for the child. He beat a helpless defenseless human being to death — his own child.”

Avila’s family members declined to comment on the case, asking for privacy and understanding.

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By Ildefonso Ortiz is a reporter for The Brownsville Herald.