A Texas man has been found guilty in connection to the death of his 2-month-old son after he kept the baby’s corpse at his home for several days.
Miguel Angel Ortiz Jr. was convicted by a jury in Hidalgo County on Tuesday, June 9, on one count of injury to a child by omission following the June 2025 death of his son.
The jury recommended that Ortiz, 38, be sentenced to 30 years in state prison. However, his fate will ultimately be determined by the judge overseeing the case at a later date.
While he was found guilty of the injury to a child by omission count, Ortiz was acquitted of charges of capital murder of a person under 10 years of age, murder, injury to a child and aggravated assault of a family member.
Ortiz was originally supposed to be sentenced during a hearing on Thursday, June 11. However, Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios told KRGV that the hearing was pushed back to next week.
Police learned of the incident in June 2025 when officers performed a wellness check at a residence in Pharr, Texas. Upon their arrival at the time, officers with the Pharr Police Department found Ortiz’s baby dead, per KRGV.
An autopsy was then performed and it was determined that the infant suffered many injuries, including bruising to his skull, chest and buttocks. The medical examiner also said they found “signs of decomposition.”
Police previously said that the 2-month-old’s mother, Karina Aidee Ramirez, walked out of the house carrying her dead child “wrapped in blankets” on the day of the discovery, according to MyRGV.
The wellness check took place after Ortiz’s friends reported he “claimed that his infant son had died three days prior,” according to police.
An investigation was launched into the boy’s death, and law enforcement quickly learned that the couple had an active case with Child Protective Services that was pending.
At the same time, authorities realized that Ortiz was also charged with possession of marijuana and tampering with evidence. The tampering charge was later dismissed by prosecutors, according to the outlet.
In addition to Ortiz’s charges, Ramirez, 35, was charged with capital murder of a child under 10 years old, injury to a child and endangering a child.
Her trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 15.
Both Ortiz and Ramirez have been in custody at the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center since they were arrested on June 23, 2025. Ortiz will remain behind bars until his sentencing hearing, while Ramirez is still detained on a combined $350,000 bond.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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