UPDATE: Friday - 1:15 p.m.
The Beeville Police Department has released additional details about the capital murder case involving the death of a 3-month-old infant, including the identification of the suspect as 20-year-old John Landreth.
Landreth, a Beeville resident, has been charged with Capital Murder of a Person Under 10 Years of Age following the Thursday investigation in the 1000 block of E. Widhelm where officers discovered the deceased infant.
New Details Released
According to police, the victim was a 3-month-old female. The cause of death is not being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation.
Landreth resided at the location where the incident occurred. During the investigation, detectives learned that Landreth had an active warrant for his arrest stemming from a probation violation related to a previous Burglary of a Building charge.
Arrest Incident at Police Department
When detectives advised Landreth that he was being placed under arrest on the warrant, he physically resisted, resulting in a brief scuffle inside the Beeville Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division office.
During the incident, one detective sustained a possible hand injury and was evaluated by EMS as a precaution. The detective was determined to be uninjured and did not require further medical treatment.
Following department procedures for use-of-force incidents, Landreth was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance before being booked into the Bee County Jail.
Investigation Continues
While Landreth was in custody at the jail, detectives continued their investigation and developed probable cause to obtain the capital murder warrant.
Investigators have determined that no other minors were involved in this case.
The Texas Rangers assisted with the investigation, while the Bee County Sheriff's Office and Beeville ISD Police Department provided crucial support.
Beeville ISD Police Department handled calls for service within the city while Beeville Police Department personnel focused on the investigation. Beeville ISD PD also responded promptly to assist during the arrest incident at the police department.
Community Response
Beeville Police Chief Ryan Treviño previously acknowledged the difficulty of the day for all involved and expressed gratitude for the multi-agency response.
"Cases involving children are never easy," Treviño said. "We are grateful for the teamwork and professionalism demonstrated by all those who responded and assisted throughout today's investigation."
The department continues to ask the public and media to be respectful of the family's privacy and to refrain from speculation as the case moves through the judicial process. Landreth is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
As this remains an active and ongoing investigation, additional information may be released as the investigation progresses and when it is appropriate to do so.
Members of the media with questions may contact Public Information Officer N. Morin.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A Beeville father faces a capital murder charge in connection with the death of his infant child following a Thursday investigation that drew assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of E. Widhelm on Thursday, where they discovered an infant who was later pronounced deceased. The Texas Rangers assisted with the investigation.
Detectives began investigating the circumstances surrounding the child's death upon arriving on scene. During the initial investigation, the child's father was arrested on an unrelated felony warrant and additionally charged with resisting arrest.
As investigators gathered additional facts and evidence, an arrest warrant was obtained charging the father with Capital Murder of a Person Under 10 Years of Age.
Beeville Police Chief Ryan Treviño acknowledged the difficulty of the day for all involved and expressed gratitude for the multi-agency response. The Bee County Sheriff's Office and Beeville ISD Police Department assisted with call coverage, allowing local officers and investigators to focus on the case.
"Cases involving children are never easy," Treviño said. "We are grateful for the teamwork and professionalism demonstrated by all those who responded and assisted throughout today's investigation."
Treviño also recognized Beeville Angel Care EMS for their professionalism during the initial response and for checking on one of the officers after the arrest. The department's dispatchers were also commended for their composure throughout the incident.
The Beeville Police Department is not releasing the names of those involved out of respect for the family. The case remains an active investigation.
The department is asking the public and media to be respectful of the family's privacy and to refrain from speculation as the case moves through the judicial process. The suspect is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Members of the media with questions may contact Public Information Officer N. Morin at nathan.morin@beevillepd.org.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
