Police arrested a Texas father Thursday after investigators determined he likely intentionally abused and starved his four-year-old son to death last summer.
Brandon Lee Cervera, 28, was charged with one count of injury to a child with the intent to cause serious bodily injury this week after investigators uncovered ‘alarming evidence’ that he was abusing his son, Benjamin Cervera.
Cell phone video seized by San Antonio police reportedly showed a starving Benjamin, 4, ‘hitting himself on the head with his hands and asking for bread,’ according to an arrest report obtained by KSAT.
In one clip, the toddler was ‘shaking uncontrollably, crying, and begging for bread and water’ while Cervera and another relative declined his request. Another video showed Benjamin being forced to drink hand sanitizer and ‘begging for water while crying and waving his hand in front of his mouth saying it was burning.’
The footage also revealed that the child was forced to ‘eat bread crumbs off the bathroom floor without the use of his hands.’
Benjamin was also pictured in photographs with ‘severely bruised and swollen’ eyes.
Authorities launched their investigation into Cervera after he took Benjamin to the emergency room in August 2021. The child was unconscious, covered in bruises that were at various states of healing and appeared to be extremely emaciated. He died shortly after his arrival at the hospital.
Cervera claimed Benjamin’s injuries had been self-inflicted. However an autopsy conducted by Bexar County Medical Examiner’s office revealed they were the result of physical abuse. The report also concluded the child’s cause of death was starvation.
Brandon Lee Cervera, 28, (pictured) was arrested Thursday and charged with ne count of injury to a child with the intent to cause serious bodily injury in connection to the August 17, 2021 death of his four-year-old son, Benjamin Cervera
Police began investigating the alleged abuse Cervera inflicted on Benjamin after a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio called 911 on August 17, 2021.
Cervera had brought Benjamin into the facility in a ‘condition that was indicative of abuse,’ KABB reported.
Benjamin – who was two months away from turning five – was unconscious, had multiple bruises and wounds, appeared to be undernourished and was wearing a disposable diaper.
Medical staff attempted to resuscitate the boy but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead just minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Homicide detectives were called the hospital and interviewed Cervera, who claimed all of Benjamin’s injuries were self-inflicted.
He also claimed a family member living at his San Antonio apartment had cell phone video proving the child had harmed himself.
Benjamin died at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (pictured) just minutes after Cervera brought him to the facility, unconscious and in a ‘condition that was indicative of abuse’. Medical staff attempted to resuscitate the boy but were unsuccessful. An autopsy concluded the child’s cause of death was starvation
When the detectives executed a search warrant on Cervera’s apartment, it became allegedly apparent the child had suffered abuse at the hands of his father.
Police said the kitchen cabinets, pantry and refrigerator were all fitted with locks that they allege were used to prevent Benjamin was having access to food.
Investigators also found a lock fitted to the door on the child’s bedroom, which housed only a heavily urine-stained mattress.
Photo and video footage also showed the progression, up to his death, of Benjamin’s physical deterioration.
Cervera was taken into custody on Thursday and is currently being held at Bexar County Jail. His bond was set to $500,000, inmate records reveal.
He is set to appear before a judge for a preliminary hearing on March 29.
The father is also set to begin a jury trial next month on 2018 charges of threats and harassment.
The relative whose cell phone was seized by police as evidence has reportedly not been charged in Benjamin’s death.
