Blue angels honor 23 Doña Ana County child victims of violent crime. Here are their stories.
Note: This story contains descriptions of domestic violence. La Casa offers emergency shelter via walk-in between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. or by calling 575-526-9513.
LAS CRUCES – Child victims of violent crimes in Doña Ana County are being honored and remembered this week, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, at the Doña Ana County Government Center.
Twenty-three Blue Angel statues are on display on the second floor of the government building from April 24-30. Each statue features a child’s name and their birth and death dates. Each is 10 years old or younger.
Here are the stories of each child according to court documents and previous Sun-News reporting.
Armando Wood, 2007-2008
Armando was nearly 2 years old when he died in 2008. He was found to have blunt-force injuries to his head and neck, bleeding and swelling in his brain, a fractured collarbone and bruises on his face and chest. However, his cause of death was ruled “undetermined” by the Office of the Medical Investigator.
George Trujillo was charged and indicted by a grand jury of one first-degree felony charge of intentional child abuse resulting in great bodily harm in 2010. He reportedly admitted to shaking the baby. Trujillo eventually changed his plea to no contest to the lesser charge of negligent child abuse. He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2013, followed by two years of parole.
Diana Urrutia, 2004-2005
Diana was just over a month old when she died Jan. 15, 2005 from injuries she sustained from her father, Eliazar Urrutia Quiñones. This was four days after paramedics were called to reports Diana was not breathing. Quiñones reportedly admitted to squeezing the baby’s head and chest. An autopsy revealed she had broken ribs, legs, blunt trauma to her head and brain hemorrhaging.
Quiñones was found guilty of three counts of child abuse in 2007 and was sentenced to the maximum 27 years in prison.
Marissa Isabel Muñoz, 2010-2018
In 2018, 8-year-old Marissa was killed in a fire at a mobile home in Sunland Park, which also injured four other children and four adults. Investigators found that the fire was set intentionally. Jocelyn Ontiveros and Juan Carlos Holguin were both arrested and charged in relation to the incident, including counts of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.
According to court documents, both were acquitted with charges dismissed with prejudice in 2021.
Faviola Rodriguez, 2015-2018
Two-year-old Favi died in September 2018 after calls reporting the toddler was not breathing. Medical personnel found bruising to her ribs and face that was deemed not sustained by CPR. An autopsy showed Faviola had brain injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.
Lalo Anthony Castrillo, the then-boyfriend of the toddler’s mother, was charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death related to the incident. A trial was held before a jury in July 2021, however a mistrial was declared. The case was appealed to the New Mexico Supreme Court where it currently remains.
More: Mother of girl who was killed says toddler sighting at Las Cruces cemetery instills hope
Ameil Valverde, 2001-2002
Ameil died at age 13 months in 2002 after his father threw him into a wall. Omar Valverde was charged with one felony-count of abuse of a child resulting in death. He was convicted in 2003 and sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by two years parole.
Shania Smith, 2013-2014
Seven-month-old Shania died in July 2014 from hyperthermia or overheating. An autopsy found that the baby girl had signs of being malnourished and dehydrated as well as several bruises, but no internal injuries.
During the investigation it was found that the baby’s mother, Annette Smith, had been covering the baby with blankets to muffle her cries. She also reportedly did not feed the baby enough and was rough with her. Smith was charged with seven counts of child abuse and one count of tampering with evidence. She eventually pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with 21 years required to be served.
Jazilyn Mesa, 2011-2012
Jazilyn, 15 months old, was killed during the summer of 2012 when she was attacked by her family’s pit bull and sustained wounds to her head and chest.
The toddler’s grandparents, Leticia and Arthur “Arturo” Mesa Sr., were both charged with possession of a dangerous dog and pleaded guilty. Leticia was sentenced to six years in prison which was suspended. The court ordered that she serve three years of supervised probation. Arturo and the toddler’s father, Jesus Mesa, were given a deferred sentence and unsupervised probation.
Angel Loraine Jimenez, 2004-2010
Five-year-old Angel died in 2010 as a result of severe injuries she sustained from her mother, Jessica Barron. Authorities reported the girl’s body had bruises, puncture wounds, a bite mark and a “massive” head injury. She was transported to the hospital but died when taken off life support several days later.
Barron eventually took a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to charges of abuse, as well as admitting she is a habitual offender. She was sentenced in 2013 to 23 years in prison and two years of parole.
Rodrigo Bravo, 1997-2001
Four-year-old Rodrigo died after spending five days in a coma. His mother, Elisa Bravo, was charged in the child’s death. In 2003, she was sentenced to serve 16 years in prison.
Kalynne Flores, 2007-2007
Baby Kalynne was under a year old when she died of asphyxia. Her father, Robert Flores, was charged and convicted of charges of negligent child abuse resulting in death and tampering with evidence. A jury found him guilty in 2013. Flores was sentenced to 18 years in prison followed by two years of parole.
In 2015, Flores was acquitted on appeal. The state appealed to the New Mexico Supreme Court, however the high court denied the petition for writ of certiorari.
Mariano Hernandez Jr., 2010-2012
Mariano was 21 months old at the time of his death. The cause of death was originally reported to be from choking on a gummy candy but was later deemed a homicide. Cause was determined to be from blunt force trauma to the head and neck.
Dustin Castillo, who was Mariano’s caregiver at the time, was charged with intentional abuse of a child resulting in death. A jury trial was rescheduled multiple times before Castillo changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced in 2017 to three years in prison and two years of parole.
Uriah Vasquez Ordoñez, 2003-2004
Uriah, 15 months old, died in 2004 from injuries he sustained when his father, Freddie Ordoñez, tossed the infant into a toy truck on a couch and dropped him in the shower. Ordoñez was charged in the death of his son and was found guilty by a jury. The jury also found that he failed to seek medical attention for the baby and that the cremation of the boy’s body, along with the disposal of his belongings, were criminal acts to hide evidence.
Ordoñez was sentenced to 36 years in prison. Cecilia Vasquez, the boy’s mother, was convicted on charges of negligent child abuse and sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Sierra Browning, 2004-2004
Five-month-old Sierra died after being thrown on the floor by her father, Michael Browning. She was taken to a local hospital in June and then transferred to Albuquerque. Sierra remained on life support for several weeks before dying in July.
Browning was sentenced to 18 years in prison for intentional child abuse resulting in death.
Daniel Orozco Jr., 2011-2014
Three-year-old Daniel died in 2014 after he was run over by his father’s truck. He was taken from Sunland Park to University Medical Center of El Paso where he succumbed to his injuries. His father, Daniel Orozco Sr., was charged with great bodily injury by vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to give immediate notice of an accident.
Orozco later pleaded guilty to the charges and was convicted. He received a delayed sentencing.
Brianna Lopez, 2002-2002
Baby Brianna was 5 months old when she died from major injuries inflicted by family members. Injuries included skull fractures, broken legs, arms and ribs, bruises and bite marks all over her body. She was also raped by both her father, Andy Walters, and uncle, Steven Lopez. Both men were sentenced to over 50 years in prison.
Stephanie Lopez, Brianna’s mother, was charged with child abuse for knowing of the abuse and not doing anything about it. She was sentenced to 27 years in prison but served only 13 years before being released.
The baby’s gruesome death led to the passage of Baby Brianna’s Law – legislation requiring life sentences for parents and guardians convicted of abusing a child to death.
More: TikTok brings new eyes to Baby Brianna story 20 years later
Devon Boothe, 1997-2002
Devon died at 4 years of age in 2002 after being beaten to death by his 10-year-old sibling. The beating was ordered by the boy’s stepfather because he was found drinking from a toilet. Devon had trouble with wetting the bed and was not allowed to drink liquids.
The stepfather, Louie Guerrero, was sentenced to 36 years in prison while Devon’s mother, Natasha, was sentenced to 27 years. Natasha reportedly died in prison in 2011.
Mattie Minnick, 2017-2018
Mattie was 7 weeks old at the time of her death. She was reportedly violently shaken by her father, Marcus Minnick, for crying. She was later found unresponsive. Injuries included hemorrhaging in the brain, severe hemorrhage in both eyes, global hypoxic brain injury and malnourishment. Healing rib fractures were also found.
Minnick was charged with reckless abuse of a child resulting in death. He changed his plea to guilty in April 2022 and a sentencing hearing is set for May 2022.
Caricia Ceballos, Mattie’s mother, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in relation to the baby’s death. Her case is pending an appeal.
Isaiah Lawrence Jimenez, 2009-2009
Four-month-old Isaiah died in 2009. Authorities found he had sustained bruises on his body and swelling of his brain. He was airlifted to El Paso where he was pronounced brain dead and taken off life support.
The couple whose care he was in, Reynaldo Holguin and Viola Jimenez, were charged in relation to the boy’s death. Holguin was sentenced to nine years in prison while Jimenez was charged with delinquency of a minor and placed on supervised probation.
Daniel Medina, 2008-2009
Daniel died at 6 months old in Anthony. He sustained multiple injuries to his head. The baby’s step-grandfather, Alfredo Luis Davila, was charged with abandonment of a child resulting in death. Based on court documents, it appears the case is still in warrant.
Kamilah Isabella Hernandez, 2020-2021
Baby Kamilah was 5 months old when she died in 2021 — the most recent reported case of child abuse resulting in death. She was found to have bruises on her face, legs, lower back and swelling in one leg. X-rays also revealed both new and healing fractured ribs. Her pupils had no reaction to light stimulus, indicating severe brain injury. Doctors found fresh bleeding in her brain.
Mariah Carol Delgado, 1996-1997
Baby Mariah died in 1997. Her mother, Carol Delgado, was charged with child abuse resulting in death. It is unclear whether Delgado was convicted of the charges against her.
Sebastian Areña, 2016-2017
Sebastian died in 2017 and his mother, Anna Holguin, was charged with abuse of a child and abandonment of a child resulting in death. She changed her plea to guilty in October 2018 and was subsequently sentenced to serve 15 years in prison followed by two years parole.
Joshua Haywood, 1984-1986
Joshua is the first blue angel represented in this collection of 23 children. According to the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office, he was drowned in a bathtub in 1986.
More: Child abuse has worsened in the two decades since Baby Brianna's death
Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Doña Ana County child victims of violent crimes recognized during National Crime Victims' Rights Week
