A 32-year-old Harlingen woman accused of causing the death of her 2-year-old daughter in April 2017 could become a witness in the case and testify against a man also charged in her daughter’s death.
At a Monday bond reduction hearing for Samantha Ann Gonzalez before 404th state District Court Judge Ricardo M. Addobati, defense attorney Ed K. Cyganiewicz stated Gonzalez will possibly be a witness for the state’s case.
“We reached an agreement on a bond that we signed off on,” Cyganiewicz said at Monday’s hearing.
He added it’s likely that Gonzalez could plead guilty to a lesser charge “and be a state’s witness, if the state agrees that she is not really responsible for the death of the child.”
According to a Sept. 15, 2021, indictment, on or about April 19, 2017, Gonzalez and Jorge Michael Abundez Jr., 33, caused the death of Katalina Castaneda, 2, by blunt force abdominal trauma.
“She is cooperating with the state and communicating with us, so I don’t have any problem with setting the bond at $20,000,” Pete Gilman, an assistant district attorney for the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, told Addobati. Addobati approved the bond’s amount.
In addition to paying the bond, Gonzalez will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device and will only be allowed to travel in Cameron County.
This was the second time Abundez had been indicted in the case. He was originally indicted on June 27, 2018, on a charge of causing blunt force abdominal trauma by a manner and means unknown. His Sept. 15 indictment supersedes his 2018 indictment, authorities said.
According to a Harlingen Police Department press release, police on April 19, 2017, were called to a residence on the 1800 block of South 3rd Street in reference to an unresponsive child.
The initial information that was provided indicated the toddler had fallen down the stairs, police said.
Castaneda was transported to the hospital by EMS, where she later died.
Cameron County jail records on Monday indicated that Abundez remains in custody at a county facility. He is being held without bond.
