Man held on $500,000 bond in child's death.

Edward Alexis Martinez-Torres is led Monday from Circuit Judge Robin Green’s courtroom at the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville. Martinez-Torres, who is accused of killing a 3-month-old boy, had his bond set at $500,000.
Edward Alexis Martinez-Torres is led Monday from Circuit Judge Robin Green’s courtroom at the Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville. Martinez-Torres, who is accused of killing a 3-month-old boy, had his bond set at $500,000.

BENTONVILLE -- Circuit Judge Robin Green set bond at $500,000 Monday for a man accused of killing an infant the mother said he treated like a son.

Police arrested Edward Alexis Martinez-Torres, 21, last week in connection with capital murder in the death of the 3-month-old boy.

Other child death cases

Benton County prosecutors are handling two other cases that involve the deaths of children.

• Mauricio Alejandro Torres and Cathy Torres are charged with capital murder and first-degree battery in the death of their 6-year-old son.

• Austin Moss and Jennifer Moss are charged with manslaughter involving the death of their 6-month-old son.

Source: Staff report

Martinez-Torres only spoke a few words at the hearing. He responded, "Yes ma'am," when Green asked if he had lived in Arkansas all his life.

Jay Saxton, Benton County's chief public defender, told Green that Martinez-Torres was born in California. He lives in Huntsville with his father but stayed at his girlfriend's home in Bethel Heights, Saxton said. He represented Martinez-Torres at the bond hearing.

Kanchana Montero, his girlfriend, was the baby's mother. She told police after the boy's death Martinez-Torres was good with her children, and he viewed the baby as his son and treated him as a son, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Montero said she started a relationship with Martinez-Torres when she was 2 months pregnant, and he stayed with her, according to the affidavit.

Bethel Heights police and medical personnel went to 2923 Kings Drive on June 9 after a 911 call concerning a baby not breathing, according to a Benton County Sheriff's Office news release.

Martinez-Torres was doing CPR on the child when the first officer arrived. The officer didn't see any signs of child abuse on the baby.

The child -- referred to as "J.R." in the redacted probable cause affidavit released Monday -- was taken to Northwest Medical Center-Springdale and later transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Doctors at Children's Hospital determined he suffered a skull fracture.

Sheriff's Office detectives were informed Wednesday the boy died. An autopsy by a medical examiner found the skull fracture was caused by nonimpact "compressive-force."

Martinez-Torres initially told police he laid down to take a nap with the baby and his hand may have accidentally fallen on his head while he was asleep, according to the release.

Police interviewed him a second time Thursday, and detectives confronted him with the medical examiner's finding. Martinez-Torres admitted he was babysitting while Montero went to buy groceries.

Martinez-Torres said he was in the kitchen preparing food and the child was in the bedroom crying. He said he couldn't get the baby to stop crying. He told police he slapped the baby in the face with an open hand, then grabbed him by the forehead, "palming and squeezing" it while pushing his head down into the mattress, according to the release.

Martinez-Torres said he placed the baby in the bassinet and went to finish cooking. He said the child never made another sound.

Montero told him to check on the child when she returned about 20 minutes later, and that's when he told her the child wasn't breathing. He then started CPR.

Prosecutors haven't filed a formal charge against Martinez-Torres. His arraignment is scheduled for 8 a.m. July 8 in Green's court.

Martinez-Torres would live with his father if he's released on bond, Saxton said. Martinez-Torres said he also would work with his father if released on bond. Saxton told Green that Martinez-Torres had misdemeanor convictions.

The convictions were for domestic battery, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear, said Nathan Smith, Benton County's prosecutor.

NW News on 06/21/2016

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