San Antonio, Texas, authorities found the body of baby who they believe to be 8-month-old King Jay Davila, an infant who disappeared last Friday, sparking an intense search for the boy.
ABC’s KSAT 12 reports that the baby’s father, Christopher Davila, took investigators to an open field near his neighborhood in Northeast San Antonio, then led them to the baby’s body at the dead end of Castle Lance. According to the outlet, the baby was found less than a mile from Davila’s last known residence at the 5800 block of Castle Brook Drive.
Investigators reportedly dug up a black backpack. Inside was the the body of a baby wrapped in a blanket. Although King Jay has not been officially identified by a medical examiner, authorities are confident that the body is more than likely him.
Davila, who was already behind bars for child neglect, is now facing additional charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury – omission, possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance, and felony possession of a firearm.
The baby’s official cause of death is pending an autopsy, but San Antonio police Chief William McManus announced Thursday that authorities think Davila “severely injured” his son.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, King Jay disappeared last Friday from the city’s West Side after a woman reportedly stole a car at a Friends gas station off of the 300 block of Enrique Barrera Parkway.
Davila claimed he left the infant in his white Dodge Dart, which he left running with the driver’s side door unlocked as he walked inside the store. When he walked out of the store, the car was gone.
Police later found the vehicle abandoned close to Rodriguez Park, with the baby and his car seat missing. Davila was subsequently arrested for child endangerment.
The woman accused of taking the car, identified as 45-year-old Angie Torres, is reportedly Davila’s cousin. She was arrested two days later when a reported altercation turned violent after she allegedly stole razors from a Dollar General store.
McManus revealed Monday that King Jay was never in the car and that Torres likely took the car to make it appear as if the infant had been abducted. Surveillance footage at the gas station showed a woman wearing a light hoodie and tan pants walking up to the car and taking it, but McManus pointed out that the woman looked as if she knew exactly what she was doing and had “no hesitation.”
“As you can see from her walking up, there is no hesitation, no looking around, no wondering if she’s going to get in this car or not. She knows where she going and what she’s doing.”
Police found the car abandoned a little over three miles from the gas station, close to Rodriquez Park. Another security camera caught the woman walking with an infant car seat.
“Ask yourself why someone would concoct such a story,” McManus said when local reporters questioned whether he thought the baby was still alive. “We believe there was foul play. That’s all I’ll say on that.”
McManus said on Thursday that the baby’s mother, Jasmine Gonzales, has not been charged in connection with her baby’s death, but she’s currently under investigation.
The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: King Jay Davila/Handout]
