‘He eats more than us’ cellphone footage reveals mother’s statements in case of starving boy

BROWNSVILLE, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — Cellphone footage as well as statements from two investigators revealed new details in the death of a 13-year-old Willacy County boy.

Ruben Gonzalez is on trial for the murder of Jesse Harrison Jr. He was indicted along with Harrison’s mother Sabrina Loredo and grandmother Antonia Gonzalez.

This morning

Two investigators took the stand Friday morning in the trial of a man accused of killing the 13-year-old Jesse Harrison.

The State called on two investigators Friday morning, beginning with one investigator involved in the case, followed by the lead investigator.

The first investigator testified that she had just recently been promoted to the position, and did not have much experience with murder cases.

She detailed that she was one of the first to respond to the scene, and was also involved in interviewing Ruben Gonzalez, the man on trial for the death of Harrison, at the sheriff’s office after Harrison was hospitalized.

She claims Ruben told them that Harrison was fine leading up to the incident and had been given a pizza and a banana, which they believe made him sick.

Ruben told the investigators that Antonia Gonzalez, the child’s grandmother, got up to use the restroom at 2 a.m. that morning when she realized Harrison was having breathing problems.

She testified that Ruben said Harrison would fall frequently leading up to his death; and had blisters throughout his body, including a large one on his knee.

Ruben told her that Harrison would eat a lot, and that he would discipline him because he would not do chores. She also recalled Ruben calling Harrison a “cabron” and mischievous.

When asked by the State if Ruben ever showed emotion or asked how Harrison was doing during the interview, she replied “No. He never asked, at no part.”

Ruben’s defense began a tense period of cross examination. Ruben’s attorney Nathaniel Perez asked the investigator if she knew what the “law of parties” was. She replied, “No.”

Perez asked if there was any evidence that Ruben was in an agreement with the women to commit harm to Jesse. After a long pause, lasting more than 30 seconds, she responded “No.”

After lunch

The court returned after a lunch break, where the lead investigator in Harrison’s death testified.

The first exhibit shown was a hospital report taken after Harrison arrived, which included statements his mother Sabrina Loredo told hospital staff.

The report stated there was a “high suspicion for abuse and neglect.”

The State then showed the court footage taken by the investigator as he interviewed Loredo. He noted multiple inconsistencies from what she told staff and what she told him.

In the footage, Loredo tells him that Harrison was diagnosed with COVID-19 about a month ago, and was giving him vitamins to see if he would get better.

Loredo said that Harrison had small cuts on his body that he would get from helping Ruben outside. She said they would treat that with a Mexican medication she called “toque morado.”

The investigator noted the bruises on Harrison, but Loredo can be heard in the video saying she never saw bruises on him.

When discussing his weight loss, Loredo said that he had been eating three meals a day, including snacks.

“He eats more than all of us at the house,” Harrison’s mom said in the video.

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