Boyfriend indicted on injury leading to child’s death

Port Arthur resident Gonzalo Alvarado, 23, was indicted on the first-degree felony charge of injury to a child with intent of severe bodily injury on July 26, following an incident that led to the death of a one-year-old female child on July 2.

According to the probable cause affidavit for Alvarado’s arrest, Port Arthur Police Department officers responded to the 2100 block of Canal Street regarding an unresponsive child. Emergency personnel responded and pronounced the child deceased.

According to a statement by PAPD Detective Adam Cousins, the child was found to have injuries to her face that appeared to be skin abrasions.

Police interviewed the child’s mother and her boyfriend on scene, to which the mother confirmed that the facial injuries were not on the child’s face the night before when she was put to bed. The boyfriend, Alvarado, was also interviewed and stated he attempted to put the child to bed and she became fussy and started crying, and that he wrapped her in a blanket before putting her to bed.

The next morning, Alvarado says he found the child face down in the bed, unresponsive; he woke the mother, and called 911.

Alvarado told officers that he was the only person who tended to the child during the night and also confirmed the child did not have facial injuries before he put her to bed.

An autopsy revealed that the child had suffered blunt force trauma to the forehead and back of the head. Upon a second interview, Alvarado said that he dropped the child from his chest level onto the bed and that the child’s head hit the corner of the bed.

Investigators believe Alvarado intentionally caused serious bodily injury/ death to the child. Alvarado’s bond was set at $500,000 and, at press time, he remained in police custody.