SAN ANTONIO – The case of an Edinburg mother accused of setting a vehicle on fire with her two children inside continues to develop hundreds of miles away in San Antonio.
First responders located the bodies just before 5 a.m. on May 15 behind a warehouse in the 500 block of Richland Hills Drive, which is located near Potranco Road.
San Antonio police later detained a 34-year-old woman at the scene. She was later identified as Marlene Vidal — the children’s mother.
San Antonio Police Department Assistant Chief Jesse Salame said the children are believed to be 5 and 7 years old. They were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Salame also said police obtained surveillance video and evidence at the scene, along with “statements” made by Vidal, that indicate “she was solely responsible for the death of these two children.”
The charges
During a May 15 news conference, Salame said Vidal would be charged with capital murder. Court records updated later that day confirmed:
- Two charges of capital murder of a person under 10 years of age
- Arson charge (second-degree felony)
A Bexar County judge set her bond for each capital murder charge at $1 million plus an additional $100,000 bond for arson ($2.1 million total).
Vidal’s case has since been assigned to Bexar County’s 437th Criminal District Court, which is presided by Judge Joel Perez.
Family ties
Vidal is a native of Edinburg, a city in Hidalgo County located approximately 230 miles south of downtown San Antonio along the Rio Grande Valley.
Salame said she had familial ties to the Alamo City.
KSAT confirmed with Vidal’s San Antonio relatives that she had temporarily stayed with the family at times.
On the day of the alleged murders, Vidal made the trek north to San Antonio, where she was living for the time being.
Government involvement
While Vidal does not have a previous criminal history in Bexar County or Hidalgo County, KSAT reached out to the Edinburg Police Department on May 18, who revealed it came into contact with Vidal days before the children were found dead.
“The Edinburg Police Department is aware of the tragic case in San Antonio,” the department said. “Edinburg police officers made contact days prior with the subject involved in the case. At the time of the interaction, there was no basis to make an arrest or execute an emergency detention.”
Edinburg police gave no further details about what led to their interaction with Vidal.
A Child Protective Services (CPS) spokesperson was unable to provide any further information to KSAT beyond the fact that a child fatality report will be released upon completion of the investigation.
Later on May 18, KSAT also found a record of a private lawsuit between Vidal and the father of her children, which was categorized under “parent and child relationship.”
The detailed documents were not immediately available, but a legal expert told KSAT that these suits can involve issues such as custody, child support, supervised visitation and other related matters.
While the details are not available, the fact that there was a civil legal record and some type of CPS history has led child welfare experts to express concern about why more action wasn’t taken last week before the tragedy.
Due to the murders happening in Bexar County, the county’s CPS chapter will complete a child fatality report.
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