KAYLA GARCIA - 4 yo/ Accused: Mother and BF-Melanie Garcia and Matthew Carillo - San Antonio TX

Funeral arrangements have been made for a girl who died after
reportedly being abused, allegedly at the hands of her mother and
mother's boyfriend.
Kayla Garcia, 4, died Wednesday evening of
blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Bexar County medical
examiner's office. The manner of her death has not yet been determined.
Visitation
is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday at Trevino Funeral Home, 226 Cupples
Road, and a rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A funeral mass
will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Jude Catholic Church with interment to follow at San Fernando Cemetery No. 2.
Kayla was hospitalized last week with injuries that staff noticed as being consistent with abuse “all over her body,” a San Antonio Police Department spokesman said, and died the next day.
Her mother, Melanie Nicole Garcia, 21, and Garcia's boyfriend Matthew Carrillo, 23, were arrested and remain jailed on one count each of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury or death.
Carrillo is not Kayla's father, records show. Relatives have declined to comment.


Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Funeral-set-for-child-who-died-after-alleged-abuse-3554972.php#ixzz1ul2iwe11

Four-year-old 'beaten to death by mother's boyfriend as horrific punishment for dropping MEATBALL out of Subway sandwich'

• Kayla Garcia, 4, died on May 9 after she was allegedly beaten by her mother's ex-boyfriend
  
• Melanie Garcia, 21, testified that Matthew Carrillo, 23, hit the girl repeatedly and lashed her with a belt for dropping a meatball out of her sandwich
  
• Texas Child services visited home two months before incident and found no evidence of abuse
  
• Both Carrillo and Garcia are on trial for causing serious bodily injury to a child
  

By Paul Thompson

PUBLISHED: 11:21 EST, 7 August 2012 | UPDATED: 12:10 EST, 7 August 2012

A four-year-old girl was beaten to death during a horrific punishment for dropping a meatball out of her Subway sandwich, her mother has claimed.

Melanie Garcia, 21, brought Kayla Garcia to San Antonio's Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital, where employees called Texas police when they saw the girl covered in bruises and cigarette burns.

She initially said the injuries were caused by a fall, but she now claims her then-boyfriend Matthew Carrillo, 23, beat the child to death merely for dropping food on the floor.


Gone: Kayla Garcia, 4, was beaten to death in May during a horrific disciplinary session for dropping a meatball out of her Subway sandwich, her mother has claimed




Accused: Melanie Garcia, 21, left, initially said the injuries were caused by a fall, but in court last week she claims her ex-boyfriend Matthew Carrillo, 23, right, beat the child to death for dropping food on the floor

The gruesome details were revealed when Miss Garcia gave evidence at a preliminary hearing for her ex-boyfriend Matthew Carrillo according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Both Carrillo and Garcia have been charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child after Kayla died from her injuries on May 9, 2012.

Prosecutors in Houston, Texas, said they are considering bringing capital murder charges that could lead to the death penalty.

Garcia told the court her boyfriend allegedly carried out the beating because her daughter had dropped a meatball from her sandwich as they walked home from a Subway restaurant. He had lived with the women for six months preceding the incident, officers told the MailOnline

She also said he was angry that she was walking too slow and when they reached home the punishment began.

Carrillo then had the child pull down her pants and underwear and brace herself against a couch.




Tragedy: Garcia brought Kayla Garcia to San Antonio's Christus Santa Rosa Children's Hospital, where employees called police when they saw the girl covered in bruises and cigarette burns


Home: Carrillo lived with the women for six months at this San Antonio address preceding the incident


Sandwich: Both Carrillo and Garcia have been charged with causing serious bodily injury to a child after Kayla died from her injuries on May 9, 2012

When the child threw herself to the floor as Carrillo struck her, he picked her up by one arm and began hitting her all over with his belt as she dangled in front of him, Garcia said.

He then had her lift a phone book and a box parallel to the ground for an extended period, Garcia said.

She claimed Carrillo slapped the child and pushed her to the ground, causing her to hit her head.

When Garcia was rushed to hospital after she stopped breathing doctors found her body covered in bruises, including on her genitals, a burn on her thigh and her retinas hemorrhaging.


Playful: Garcia also said Carrillo was angry at the girl for walking too slow and when they reached home the punishment began

Garcia said she told paramedics her daughter had hit her head after falling out of her toy wagon.

She told the court Carrillo had ordered her to lie to authorities and was terrified of him and his family.

'She used to tell him that he was her best friend,' Garcia said through tears of her daughter and Carrillo, who was living with them at the time of the death.

'It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I love my daughter.'

Lawyers for Carrillo said Garcia is bipolar and was cooperating with authorities to avoid any of the blame. She has two previous arrests for drug possession, documents show.

Garcia said she was told by prosecutors she could still face charges.




Beaten: Carrillo then had the child pull down her pants and underwear and brace herself against a couch

Child services were called to the couple's home in March of this year on child abuse accusations.

'We located the child and the mom, took photographs, interviewed the gentleman involved and we found nothing,' Mary Walker, an agency spokeswoman for Child Protective Services, said to the San Antonio Express-News.

'Although a case worker conducted a thorough investigation, no evidence of abuse was found at the time.'

The investigation occurred only two months before Kayla died.

'It's absolutely tragic,' Mrs Walker said. 'Sometimes we see what they want us to see. We rely on people to tell us what's true, and that doesn't always work out.'

Melanie Garcia was released from jail without bail after agreeing to submit to a lie detector test and to testify against Carrillo if necessary.

Carrillo's bid to be freed from jail due to lack of probable cause was denied by Magistrate Judge Andrew Carruthers, but he did order his bond reduced from $200,000 to $100,000.

Kayla was buried on May 16 in the San Fernando Cemetery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184995/Four-year-old-beaten-death-mothers-boyfriend-horrific-punishment-dropping-MEATBALL-Subway-sandwich.html#ixzz22siZgAR8

Another POS boyfriend. Another POS mother. Another dead precious child.

Young kids her age drop things all the time. There not fully developed in motor skills. You don't
punish that. How could you hit a gorgeous little angel like her. I bet they don't get the death penality either.
We've got to change the laws. No plea's for killing children. Death for a death.

We have to stand up for kids.

William

I hope the murdered gets the death penalty and the mother is prosecuted to the fullest. She knew this monster was dangerous and allowed him to be around her child. Shame on her.