BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A San Antonio great-grandmother is demanding answers from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office after the man accused in the death of her 18-month-old great-grandson in 2020 was arrested again this year in connection with the death of another infant.
Rick Artis, who faces multiple charges including murder, is now in custody with bonds totaling more than $1 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 2026.
“We wouldn’t be sitting here if the DA office would have did what they were supposed to do,” said Donna Givens, whose great-grandson Lyriq Ogilvie Artis died in 2020.
Timeline of allegations
The cases against Artis spans several years:
- Oct. 5, 2018: Artis was arrested and charged with injury to a child for allegedly striking his infant son, Lyriq Ogilvie Artis.
- Feb. 22, 2020: Lyriq is found unresponsive and the 18-month-old died with what was ruled as blunt force trauma to the head.
- Feb. 24, 2020: Artis is indicted for the 2018 incident.
- July 2023: Artis was set for trial, but the 2018 charges are dismissed due to a missing witness. Artis is released from jail.
- September 2023: The DA’s Office reindicts Artis on 2018 charges, as well as a murder charge for Lyriq’s death.
- January 2025: After being on the run, Artis is found when a 9-month-old baby in his care dies. He’s later charged for that child’s death.
‘A monster free to go’
The recent arrest has reopened emotional wounds for Givens.
“I started crying. I was nervous; I was upset. I thought I had accepted it and dealt with whatever happened, but now I realize that I haven’t,” Givens said.
Expressing frustration with how the case has been handled, Givens didn’t mince words.
“I’m gonna talk about how the DA allowed this monster, this sleazy, slimy, slithering snake of a monster free to go and hurt somebody else’s baby,” Givens said.
Call for unity
Givens has extended support to the mother of the recently deceased child.
“If you see this, reach out to me,” Givens said. “I’m gonna stand with you, and we’re gonna stand together. And we’re gonna make sure this dude never ever in life gets to hurt anyone else’s baby.”
Givens also wants accountability for what she described as missteps in this case.
KSAT reached out to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office after Givens was interviewed on Thursday. The office sent KSAT the following statement.
We can confirm that defendant (Artis) was indicted in September of 2023, he was a fugitive for 16 months, and arrested in January of 2025. Because the case is active, we are unable to provide any further details.
Bexar County District Attorney's Office
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