SAN ANTONIO – A man arrested last week in connection with the death of a 3-month-old baby is being held at the Bexar County Jail on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, jail staff confirmed Saturday.
Jose Rafael Amaya-Cantu, 32, is facing a charge of causing serious bodily injury to a child. ICE detainers are often applied to individuals suspected of living in the country illegally, though it's unclear if that's the situation in Amaya-Cantu's case.
Amaya-Cantu was arrested after officers were called to an unknown location for a report of an unresponsive baby.
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The infant's mother, Jasmine Ybarra, identified the child as J'Anthony McKnight. Ybarra said June 28 was the last time she saw her son alive.
"My mom came over and asked if she could see her grandson and that her boyfriend (Amaya-Cantu) could see him," Ybarra said.
Amaya-Cantu and the boy's grandmother left with the baby, Ybarra said. The next day, Ybarra was awoken by a relative who said the child was in a hospital and that detectives wanted to speak with her.
Ybarra said she and J'Anthony's father, James McKnight, have been given conflicting stories as to how J'Anthony ended up in the hospital with what she said was brain swelling, a fractured skull, broken bones and broken ribs.
"They are saying it was a car accident, and then they are saying he fell off of the bed. So, it is two different, twisted stories," Ybarra said.
J'Anthony died at the hospital. Police did not say whether the charge against Amaya-Cantu would be upgraded. Authorities also said they were unable to release additional information about the infant's death because he is a minor.
Amaya-Cantu is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, online records show.