Rick P. Artis, 31, is behind bars on a $1 million bond, accused of beating a 9-month-old girl to death while wanted for the killing of another toddler years earlier. San Antonio police say Artis tried to conceal his identity by giving the name “Eric” when officers arrived at an apartment on Ingram Road in January.
Paramedics found the infant unresponsive just before 11 a.m. on January 25. Artis claimed he discovered the baby not breathing while preparing a bottle. The child’s mother, however, told investigators the baby had been standing and smiling just hours before.
Authorities say Artis was attempting to cover his tracks while appearing as a grieving caretaker.
An autopsy revealed the baby died from a significant skull fracture caused by blunt force trauma, not natural causes.
When detectives questioned the couple days later, Artis’s “Eric” identity fell apart. Police discovered he had an active warrant for injury to a child in a 2018 case, in which a 17-month-old suffered a skull fracture and later died.
Phone records heightened suspicion. Before alerting the mother or calling 911, Artis allegedly texted a paralegal and a friend about the infant’s death. He now faces a charge of injury to a child with intent to cause serious bodily injury.
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