Weslaco, TX – A 26-year-old mother, Ashley Jasmin Rivera, has been arrested following the death of her 1-year-old child. The incident occurred on Halloween night when deputies responded to a call about an unresponsive child in a vehicle.
On October 31, shortly before 9 p.m., deputies arrived at the 8100 block of North FM 88. They found the child not breathing, and paramedics transported the infant to a hospital where the child was pronounced dead.
According to a press release from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, the child’s car seat was found tipped forward with the strap around the child’s neck. Rivera reportedly informed investigators that she had left the child in the car while she attended to her other three children.
A witness discovered the child unresponsive after approximately 20 to 30 minutes. An autopsy later confirmed the death resulted from strangulation.
Details regarding the whereabouts of Rivera and her other children during that time have not been disclosed. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
Rivera was taken into custody and is being held in the Hidalgo County Jail on a $750,000 bond.
