A 25-year-old Weslaco woman has been arrested and charged with criminal negligent homicide in the 2019 death of her 4-month-old child, who authorities say died of hyperthermia after a heater was allegedly left next to the child while the mother slept.
Weslaco police Chief Joel Rivera said the investigation into the child’s death began on April 2, 2019, when officers responded to the Knapp Medical Center regarding the unresponsive infant.
During that investigation, police questioned Bianca Renea Sanchez and conducted a blood draw to see whether she was intoxicated, Rivera said, adding that in October and December of that year the toxicology test showed she had cocaine and Alprazolam, a generic version of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, in her system.
The autopsy on the child determined that the 4-month-old’s death was consistent with “hyperthermia,” or overheating, Rivera said.
The chief said Sanchez claimed she left a heater next to her child and had gone to bed at a residence in Weslaco. When she woke up, she found the 4-month-old unresponsive and took the child to the hospital, he said.
Rivera said his investigators have been consulting with the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office throughout the course of the investigation and that prosecutors recommended the charge of criminal negligent homicide.
The chief also commended those detectives on their work during the lengthy investigation, saying they worked hard and did their due diligence, which can be lengthy as various medical and forensic reports are generated.
“Sometimes good police work takes time,” Rivera said.
Sanchez was booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on Thursday, where she remains held on a $30,000 bond, online jail records indicate.
