Fort Worth Police Declare Toddler’s Death A Homicide

Fort Worth police have ruled the death of two-year-old Anthony Segora as a homicide as of Monday. According to Dallas News, the toddler was found unresponsive Saturday in the living room of his mother’s apartment on Whittlesey Road near Interstate 820.

KDFW reported that the emergency call came while Segora’s mother, Vanessa Valdez, was at work and her boyfriend, Erik Delarosa was babysitting. A medical examiner determined that the toddler had died from blunt force trauma to the abdomen at which point Fort Worth police ruled his death a homicide.

So far there have been no arrests made in the boy’s death, although Delarosa was arrested on unrelated charges. Police have said that they are questioning him about the boy’s death, but he hasn’t been charged with anything related to the incident.

Reports have stated that Police and Child Protective Services (CPS) are working together during the investigation. This isn’t the first time the family has been investigated by CPS. KHOU reported that CPS had been called to the home before, though none of those incidents involved Delarosa.

CPS reportedly investigated Valdez and her children’s father on multiple occasions. KHOU stated the following:

“In 2010, CPS agents placed the children with their paternal grandparents while the parents completed drug counseling. In Sept. 2011, CPS spokeswoman Shari Pulliam said the mother tested positive for “a mind-altering substance” while she was pregnant. In 2012, CPS agents investigated a report of domestic violence that occurred when the children were not in the room. The last investigation was in January of last year. Pulliam said the family fled CPS workers and ‘remained unable to locate during the investigation.'”

Neighbors have all been shocked by the death of two-year-old Anthony Segora. Felicia Harris told reporters that she cried for the boy and his mother. “My reaction was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I just cried for her. I just wish I could see her so I could give her a big hug.”

Bebe Gibson, a neighbor who worked with Valdez, says she checked on the children hours before Segora died.

“I go over there; he’s in the back,” said Gibson. “He says, ‘Bebe, can you put my toys in the bed with me and put my trucks in the bed with me?’ He said, ‘You coming back?’ I said, ‘I’ll be back to see you, baby.'”

Neighbors told reporters that Valdez and Delarosa are taking the toddler’s death very hard. Witnesses say that Delarosa had fallen to the ground screaming while others claim that Valdez keeps blaming herself for the boy’s death. Police say that Valdez’s other two children, ages three and four, have temporarily been placed in foster care as the investigation continues.