A Texas stepmom who starved a four-year-old boy to death and filmed him sobbing and begging for bread on the morning he died has been sentenced to 25 years in jail.
Miranda Casarez, 25, remained stony-faced and denied any responsibility for the death of Benjamin Cervera even as her punishment was handed down.
Her attorneys begged for clemency at sentencing and stressed that Casarez has another three-month-old child who she breastfed through the trial.
Benjamin meanwhile weighed just 28 pounds when he died in agony on August 17, 2021.
The cruel stepmom had forced him to drink urine, hand sanitizer and hot sauce before his eventual death just a month shy of his fifth birthday.
‘I hope instead of laughter you hear my son’s cries,’ Amy Flores Zepeda said on behalf of her sister, Benji’s biological mother, The San Antonio Express-News reported.
Casarez was convicted on charges of injury to a child with serious bodily injury. His father Brandon Cervera Sr is also awaiting trial next month.
On day one of the evidence, the court was played harrowing footage of Benjamin crying and pleading for food.
The video shows a tearful Benjamin in the back seat of a car pleading ‘I want bread’.
Just hours later, he was rushed to the hospital and died from what was ruled as starvation.
Jurors also heard how Casarez sent text messages to her mom about deliberately withholding food from the boy, Law and Crime reports.
Prosecutors said a desperate Benjamin would often try and sneak out of his room for food but Casarez put locks on the pantries.
Casarez begged for mercy at her sentencing and blamed the boy’s father for the abuse.
She claimed to have loved Benjamin and used a memorial tattoo she got of his birth and death as evidence.
‘He was like one of my kids,’ Casarez said under questioning.
During the trial, Casarez even wept as she was presented with photos of the youngster in hospital.
But jurors saw through her façade, taking just under and hour to unanimously convict her.
Concerns had been raised about Benji’s health prior to his death but despite involvement with Child Protection Services and a hospital visit he remained in contact with his stepmom.
The youngster died at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio just minutes after his father brought him to the facility, unconscious and in a ‘condition that was indicative of abuse’.
Medics unsuccessfully battle to resuscitate him upon arrival. They raised the alarm after noting bruising on his body.
Casarez attorneys pushed for her to receive ten years or less which would allow her to apply for probation, but this was denied.
‘She should have to think about Benji every day of the rest of her life,’ said Prosecutor Michael Villarea.
He pointed out that Casarez had complained to 911 operators about not being able to sleep the night before Benjamin died.
‘She thinks she is a victim of Benji’s death and not the perpetrator,’ he told the court.
‘Death by starvation is horrible and unconscionable,’ Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales added.
‘This case paints a grim picture of neglect and abuse and highlights the urgency of justice for victimized children.’
Casarez’s attorney Anthony Callard said his client plans to appeal the sentence.
‘I don’t think they even looked at the evidence,’ he said about the jury. ‘They had to blame someone, and they blamed my client.’
Benjamin’s father, 28, has also been charged with one count of injury to a child with the intent to cause serious bodily injury after investigators uncovered ‘alarming evidence’ that he was abusing his son.
Last modified: October 25, 2024
