A Texas father who forced his son to drink hand sanitizer and beg for food before starving to death was arrested by San Antonio police on Thursday.
Brandon Cervera, 28, was charged with injury to a child with the intent to cause serious bodily injury in connection to his son Benjamin’s death last year.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KSAT, investigators found a cell phone video of the 4-year-old begging for food and water. At one point, the boy is shown being forced to drink hand sanitizer.
During an investigation of the family’s home, police found locks on the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets to keep Benjamin out. The boys’ room was also kept locked, with nothing but a urine-stained mattress inside.
A family member took the unresponsive child to a hospital on August 17. According to the affidavit, medical staff called the police after discovering the boy’s body was covered in bruises. Benjamin died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Benjamin’s cause of death was listed as starvation by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. The report revealed that the bruises on his body resulted from physical abuse.
Authorities have identified an additional suspect in the case who has not yet been arrested.
Cervera is currently behind bars at the Bexar County Jail. Daily Mail reports that his bond was set at $500,000. A preliminary hearing is set for March 29.
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