CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man at the center of an infant murder case will not face trial.
Daniel Ortiz was accused in death of Arabella Sanchez after the child was found dead on Dec. 15, 2017.
Chasity Herrera, the girl’s mother, had been charged with her death but the charges against her were dismissed after DNA evidence revealed physical evidence that implicated Ortiz.
On Dec. 18, officers were called to Herrera’s home in Robstown where they found the infant unresponsive and not breathing. When officers entered Herrera’s apartment, they found her sitting on the sofa, holding Arabella and screaming, according to an arrest affidavit.
Officers began chest compressions, and when EMS arrived, Arabella was taken to Northwest Regional Hospital in Calallen where she was pronounced dead.
In July of this year, a motion to dismiss was filed in the 319th District Court citing insufficient evidence. Judge David Stith signed the order to dismiss on July 23.
Ortiz was arrested after DNA evidence was found underneath the child's fingernails.
The legal motion to dismiss the case reasoned, "After a view of all evidence collected in this case and discussions with the state's expert witnesses there is at this time insufficient evidence to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt it is requested that the abode in title the numbered cause be dismissed without prejudice."
