The adoptive parents of a 10-year-old boy were arrested Wednesday. Officials said they would violently punish him and are believed to have starved him.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio couple accused of hitting, potentially starving and keeping their adopted child in a laundry room for a year was arrested Wednesday, a week after police say the boy was found dead in their northeast-side home.
Jonathan and Christina Miranda – 34 and 32 years old, respectively – face capital murder charges in connection with 10-year-old Michael Miranda’s death.
The investigation began the night of Sept. 24, when officers responded to their home in the 5600 block of Cielo Ranch after receiving a report of an unresponsive child. Despite the efforts of first responders to revive him, Michael was declared dead at the scene.
“He appeared to be somewhat emaciated,” an arrest affidavit states, adding the child “had abrasions on his face, legs and feet.”
Other parts of his body had bruising, fractured ribs and signs of various trauma “in various stages of healing,” records state. He’s also believed to have had an internal injury to his neck.
SAPD detectives tried interviewing the couple, but only Christina Miranda would share information. She told investigators Michael “had a history of abuse, neglect and alleged sexual abuse,” and allegedly confessed to keeping the boy in their laundry room “for the past couple of days as he was ill.”
Arrest records state she refused to give more information and asked for a lawyer.
Detectives searched the home and found the laundry room “had been arranged and… occupied for much longer than the two days that were being reported,” affidavits state. Dried feces was on the floor and investigators concluded that broken drywall may have been caused by a violent struggle.
Records state witnesses corroborated the signs of possible abuse law enforcement found at the home. They told investigators Michael was abused daily with objects like a “wooden paddle” and “a rubber paddle with metal inside.” He was also, records state, forced to stand with his arms raised for long periods of time and punished if he dropped them.
The parents allegedly punished him when he urinated or defecated himself, but wouldn’t clean him up for long periods of time. Authorities added they also discovered video evidence of the abuse at some point during their investigation.
According to records, Michael’s preliminary but likely cause of death was several internal inflammation and other internal injuries.
SAPD said the Mirandas have several other children who were being checked out to make sure they were not abused as well.
Bond amounts for the couple have not yet been posted. Asked as he was being taken into custody Wednesday if he was being wrongfully charged, Jonathan Miranda said, “Yes.”