LEVELLAND, Texas– A Hockley County grand jury indicted two people on charges of capital murder of a 2-year-old boy.
Earlier this month, officers arrived at the Covenant Levelland Emergency Room and were told the little boy, who was identified as Elijah Lebario, had severe bruising on most of his body and had an internal body temperature of 81 degrees.
Police said the mother of the toddler, Samantha Dawn Mathis, 25, was the one who took the boy to the emergency room.
“He had several indications of bruising all over his body. When we arrived on scene we just didn’t quite believe her story as far as what she was telling us and how this young baby had sustained all of these injuries,” he said.
Investigators then learned that the toddler was assaulted by both Mathis and her boyfriend, Robert Garcia Jr., 30, said police.
The couple had been dating for six months.
Both Mathis and Garcia intentionally or knowingly caused the death of Elijah by doing one or more of the following acts: striking with a hand, foot, belt, or object unknown; striking against a floor, wall, toilet, tub, sink, or object unknown and/or shaking, according to the indictment.
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