SAN ANTONIO – Rosemarie Luna, 44, has been arrested on a charge of injury to a child stemming from a beating her 8-year-old suffered at the hands of another person, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Police with the Edgewood Independent School District believe her boyfriend, identified only as Gary Alvarez, is the person responsible for the beating earlier this month. On Tuesday, they issued a news release asking for the public's help in locating Alvarez, who also is facing a charge of injury to a child.
The affidavit related to Luna's arrest stated that Alvarez brought the child to school Feb. 17, telling staff members that the boy had been hurt playing football and should be excused from any physical activities.
Staff members alerted school police after noticing the boy was in pain and had injuries to his face and body.
The affidavit stated that the boy later admitted that Alvarez had beaten him with a belt and choked him after he got into trouble at school. He told police that his mother was present at the time of the beating, the affidavit stated.
It also stated that a school administrator told police she has had concerns about the child for some time. She said she noticed that he often came to school hungry and had been caught stealing and hoarding food, the affidavit stated.
According to the affidavit, the administrator also said that she noticed whenever school officials called the boy's home to report bad behavior, he “goes missing" for three of four days afterward. School officials said they had filed several reports in the past with Child Protective Services.
Police said when they spoke to Luna about her son's injuries, she had “no sense of urgency” about her son’s injuries. They said Luna, who is a licensed vocational nurse, did not get him medical treatment even though she knew he was hurt.
The affidavit stated that the boy is in the process of being adopted by Luna, but Alvarez told police he never wanted the child.
Luna was booked into jail Tuesday.
Anyone with information on Alvarez’s whereabouts is asked to call the Edgewood ISD Police Department at (210) 444-4558.