Texas investigators found the body of a missing San Antonio baby after his father led them to an open field on Friday. Authorities are now trying to figure out of if the boy’s father, who initially made up a fabricated story about the baby being kidnapped at a gas station, is now telling the truth, but apparently doubt lingers.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the father of 8-month-old King Jay Davila, 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.
KSAT 12 reports that while talking to detectives, Davila explained that he was playing video games at home on January 3, when King Jay died. Davila said he had the infant in his car seat, seated on a bed. He then reportedly explained that when he sat on the bed himself, the car seat fell with King Jay, who landed face-first on the floor. Davila, according to authorities, said the baby may have hit his head on a dresser while falling.
Davila stated he noticed a huge bump forming over King Jay’s eye, but he didn’t call 911 or take the baby for medical care because he was scared. A few hours later, when Davila checked on the baby, he was dead.
A witness told police he heard saw Davila on January 3 explaining to his mother, 65-year-old Beatrice Sampayo, that King Jay, her grandson, had fallen down and died. The following day, when the witness saw Davila again, he walked outside to ask him about the baby, but Davila told him to “get the f— back in the house.”
The witness said he continued to watch the scene unfold and saw Davila’s cousin, 45-year-old Angie Torres, look inside the car with a “shocked look on her face.”
Another witness said they noticed Sampayo and Davila hugging each other, visibly upset, which was odd as they rarely hug, according to the witness. A third witness said King Jay was crying on January 3 and the following day, Davila left with the baby’s car seat.
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 was identified as Torres. She was arrested two days later on unrelated charges, 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.
Davila continued to insist that his son was abducted, but as the evidence began to stack against him, he folded, McManus explained.
“I think when the story started to unravel is when he started to break down. He weakened, and figured that he’s not just getting away with it. It seemed like a strong story in the beginning to him, but as the investigation continued that story got weaker and weaker.”
A police officer later found King Jay’s car seat tossed near the intersection of Guthrie Street and Southwest 41st Street. Surveillance footage shows Torres and Sampoyo first dropping the car seat at a donation shed, but they returned minutes later and retrieved it, then apparently took it to the intersection.
Sampayo and Torres both face felony tampering with evidence charges.
McManus explained that authorities aren’t going to base the baby’s death solely on Davila’s version of what happened. A full autopsy will be completed and detectives will continue to investigate.
“We’re now working a death investigation, (and we) won’t be finished until we find out how exactly how he died,” McManus said.
According San Antonio Express-News, police hinted at doubts that King Jay died accidentally. Davila has a long criminal history and previously served time in prison.
“It shocks the conscience to think that someone could do this to an 8-month-old, let alone his own child,” McManus told reporters.
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.
Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
[Feature Photo: King Jay Davila/Handout]
