SAN ANTONIO – The children of two parents facing capital murder charges in the death of their 10-year-old adopted son were placed in foster care, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
While it remains unknown how many children were placed in the state’s custody, neighbors told KSAT 12 there are at least four other children who lived in the home.
Around 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 24, authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive child at a home in the 5600 block of Cielo Ranch on the Northeast Side. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Christina Miranda, 32, and Jonathan Miranda, 34, who are the guardians of the child, were both arrested Wednesday without incident at a nearby residence, police said.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the adopted son as 10-year-old Michael Miranda. His cause of death is still under investigation by the medical examiner’s office.
Michael Miranda is adopted but still biologically related to Christina and Jonathan Miranda, police said. Their exact relationship is unclear.
According to police, Michael Miranda suffered clear signs of trauma and abuse from the past year.
Police said the medical examiner found injuries on Michael Miranda’s body, including fractures that appeared to be healing at different stages, along with contusions.
Police said they also obtained video footage of the alleged abuse.
According to arrest affidavits for Christina and Jonathan Miranda obtained by KSAT, authorities noted Michael Miranda was very small for his age and appeared to show “signs of possible starvation and malnutrition.”
Christina Miranda told investigators that she and Jonathon Miranda had monitored the boy in the laundry room for “the past couple days” due to an illness, the affidavit said.
“The laundry room had been examined and it was apparent that it had been arranged, and had been occupied, for much longer than the two days that were being reported,” the affidavit said.
Investigators also said the room showed “signs of struggle and some sort of violence,” noting broken drywall found inside.
People who lived inside the home corroborated statements that the boy was physically assaulted daily, describing methods of assault including hitting with paddles, the affidavit said.
The affidavit listed a likely cause of death as severe blunt force trauma to the abdomen.
Other children who were in the home are being investigated for signs of physical trauma and abuse, police said. They did not say how many children also lived there.
Joseph Hoelscher, the attorney for Christina and Jonathan Miranda, provided KSAT with a statement on the arrests.
“Everyone who knows the Miranda family is shocked by the arrest of Jonathan and Christina. Both parents fully cooperated with Child Protective Services after the death of their son, Michael. Michael suffered from a number of physical and mental health issues, because of extensive abuse before becoming a part of the Miranda family, but the family was blessed to have tremendous support in caring for him, including members of their faith community, doctors, and other professionals, all of whom know the Mirandas as loving and dedicated parents. The evidence cited by SAPD is inconsistent with the evidence disclosed during the CPS investigation and the experiences of the many people who knew Michael. SAPD interfered with the child welfare investigation by illegally seizing all of the family’s electronics, including the Miranda children’s tablets required for their schooling. SAPD’s violent arrest tactics, during a voluntary meeting with a special investor for CPS, endangered multiple children. Unlike CPS, SAPD concluded their investigation without reference to medical history records, videos, or witness statements but cited alleged facts which are demonstrably untrue. SAPD’s rushed investigation appears calculated to get headlines, not to protect any child. The Mirandas, however, are only concerned for their children at this time. On their behalf, I thank everyone who has stepped forward to support the Miranda children, show them love, and help them keep faith after losing their brother and the unnecessarily traumatic arrest of their parents. Justice will prevail.”
Joseph Hoelscher
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