Sentenced: TX Babysitter Charged With Capital Murder Of Toddler Posts $500K Bail

[Sugar Cookie]

A Texas babysitter has posted $500,000 bail after police charged her with the capital murder of a 19-month-old baby girl in the city of El Campo, Wharton County.

Angel Castro, 26, told the police that when she was babysitting the child, it fell and died, El Campo Police told FOX 26. But police said that after reviewing the autopsy, the baby's death did not appear to be an accident.

Law enforcement said that the child, Roselyn Coates, died within hours of the 911 call.

"She [Coates] did sustain a head injury that was visible to officers when they got there," Cpl. Mark Biskup of El Campo Police told the news channel.

"I can't release the details of it, but what I can tell you is that she had suffered major internal injuries that raised suspicion as to the cause of death, and what the babysitter had claimed just didn't match," Biskup added.

Texas Babysitter Charged With Capital Murder of Toddler Posts $500K Bail

Angel Castro, 26, said when she was babysitting the child, it fell and died, but the police dispute this.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Roselynn Troi Coates

June 8, 2019 - January 19, 2021

 

[Inferus]

One more reason for me to be paranoid trusting my daughter with others.

 

[Sejanus]

Bitch

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Angel Castro was sentenced to five years in prison for her role in the 2021 death of a 19-month-old toddler in her care.

Castro was found guilty in August of intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to Roselynn Coates on Jan. 19, 2021.

The sentence was handed down by 329th District Judge Randy Clapp, who said Castro would be an ideal candidate for probation, but state law prohibits a judge from considering probation for someone convicted of Castro’s crime.

“This is an emotional situation. Feelings of hate, anger, frustration, revenge… and maybe, somewhere, a little bit of forgiveness,” Lipscombe said in his closing argument, adding, “We believe the jury got it wrong.”

“The jury listened for two weeks and deliberated for eight hours,” District Attorney Mark Racer said in his closing arguments. “Roselynn’s family has waited four and a half years for justice. Angel Castro should have to wait 30 or 40 years.”

Coates was in Castro’s care when she fell from kitchen cabinets at Castro’s home and struck her head on a rocking horse toy, according to police reports at the time.

The death, however, was attributed to internal bleeding from Coates’ liver.

Castro, who has no other criminal history, had been charged with capital murder, but was found not guilty.

“What happened to the child was a tragic accident,” Defense attorney Ken Lipscombe said after the sentence had been handed down. “What happened here today is a continuation of that tragedy.”

In his cross-examinations, Racer asked witnesses if someone convicted of causing the severity of Coates’ injuries was deserving of a lesser sentence.

“If someone intentionally or knowingly causes serious injury to a child, to the point where they died less than an hour after that injury, do they deserve probation?” he asked.

Coates was the daughter of Allison Edwards, a Louisiana road crew worker who was in El Campo for work.

Edwards testified Monday and described how her life was changed after the Coates’ death.

“She could have changed everyone in here’s lives, but we’ll never know,” she said.

Lipscome called seven witnesses, including Castro herself, each of whom testified the incident was an accident and not intentional as the jury decided. Wharton County Adult Probation Unit Supervisor Brenna Bubela, who conducted the presentencing investigation into Castro’s suitability for probation, testified that Castro would likely have no trouble adhering to conditions of probation and that Castro had expressed remorse over Coates’ death.

https://www.wcleaderjournal.com/article/593,five-year-sentence-for-ec-baby-sitter-in-child-s-death