Half-ton woman to remain home pending trial

EDINBURG - A murder suspect estimated to weigh nearly half a ton will remain at her home for now because the county does not have the resources to house her, prosecutors said Monday.

State District Judge Ricardo Rodriguez Jr. agreed not to send Mayra Rosales, 27, to jail provided that she wear a global positioning system tracker until her trial.

A Hidalgo County grand jury indicted her last week on capital murder charges, stemming from the March 18 death of her 2-year-old nephew, Eliseo Gonzalez Jr.

Sheriff Lupe Treviño argued then that incarcerating Rosales would be impossible because the county jail does not have a cell large enough to hold her or medical staff equipped to handle her medical needs.

She suffers from a rare thyroid condition which caused much of her weight gain as well as various heart conditions,

The possibility of checking her into a hospital and putting her under 24-hour surveillance was also ruled out due to the prohibitive cost, District Attorney Rene Guerra said.

Rosales has remained at her Sullivan City home under effective house arrest since she was first accused of hitting Eliseo at least twice in the head. Because she is bedridden, she does not pose a flight risk, the sheriff said.

Under the conditions of her arraignment, Rosales agreed not to have any contact with children or her sister, who is a co-defendant in her case.

Prosecutors allege 20-year-old Jamie Rosales, Eliseo's mother, left the toddler with his bedridden aunt even though she knew that the woman was incapable of caring for him.

She faces one felony count of injury to a child, punishable by life in prison and $10,000 in fines upon conviction.

If found guilty, Mayra Rosales could face the death penalty.

Her attorney - Sergio Valdez - did not return calls for comment Monday.

Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.