By Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas — It took about 40 minutes for paramedics to be called to help a 2-year-old El Paso boy who died a week ago today after being hit by a man who was suppose to be taking care of him, court documents stated.
Ever Mendez remained jailed without bond on suspicion of capital murder in the death of Isaiah Villanueva, who died of blunt force injury, according to an autopsy.
Police said Mendez, 29, was living with the boy’s mother in an apartment in the 600 block of Lafayette Drive in the Lower Valley.
On the morning of May 11, Mendez was alone at the apartment with Isaiah and the boy’s 4-year-old sister, stated a complaint affidavit obtained by the El Paso Times.
About 11:40 a.m., Mendez called the boy’s mother and told her to come home. Soon, other family members showed up because the boy was unconscious, stated the document filed by a police detective.
At 12:23 p.m., paramedics and police were called to the apartment to check on Isaiah, according to the affidavit. Paramedics did first aid and rushed the boy to a hospital. Emergency room staff “declared the child DOA (dead on arrival).” Foul play was suspected because the boy had suspicious injuries.
During a video-recorded interview with detectives of the Crimes Against Persons Unit, Mendez admitted hitting the boy, the document alleged.
Mendez has been in custody since May 11 on warrants for failure to pay support and traffic tickets.
Mendez was arrested on suspicion of capital murder after an autopsy on Tuesday determined that Isaiah’s death was a homicide and that the boy died from being hit in the abdomen.
During an investigation into the boy’s death, police said that investigators learned that Mendez had allegedly hurt one of Isaiah’s siblings in a previous incident. In that case, Mendez faces a charge of injury to a child.
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