SAN ANTONIO – A 45-year-old woman accused of helping stage a kidnapping in hopes of helping her cousin cover up the death of his 8-month-old son made a court appearance Thursday.
The brief, pre-indictment court appearance by Angie Torres was also the first meeting between her and attorney Karl Basile.
"I can't give you any detailed details right now," Basile said after the court appearance, citing attorney-client privileges. "Some of what she is saying is backed up in the police reports about what went on that she knew about the baby, what was going on with the baby and that she was doing this for other people."
Torres is charged with evidence tampering in connection with the kidnapping hoax that police said was orchestrated to help her cousin, Christopher Davila, 34, try to fool police as they investigated the shocking death of his son, King Jay Davila, in January.
Davila told police that his son was in his car when it was stolen from a gas station.
But a week later, his kidnapping story fell apart, police said.
Davila told police that his infant son died after falling from a dresser, and in a panic, buried King Jay's body in a shallow grave. Davila is charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury - omission, tampering with evidence and other charges.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said in January that Torres was the person seen in surveillance video and photos taking the vehicle from the gas station.
Torres had been dropped off a block from a gas station and drove away in Davila's car, making it appear as if the vehicle had been stolen with King Jay inside.
The car was found abandoned near Rodriguez Park without the keys or King Jay's car seat.
McManus said King Jay was never in the car at the time of the fake abduction and car theft and that it was only made to look as if the baby was in the vehicle.
"It's going to take a lot of work on this file," Basile said, after getting his first glimpse of documents in the case given to him by prosecutors.
Torres remains jailed in lieu of bonds totaling $300,000 in the evidence tampering case and an unrelated robbery case.
Basile said he plans to ask for a bond reduction hearing within a week.