A Texas woman will most likely spend the rest of her life in prison over the brutal killing of her infant daughter in a fit of rage.
Olivia Munoz, 22, pleaded guilty to one count each of murder of a person under 10 years of age and injury to a child with intent to cause significant bodily injury in the death of 7-month-old Hazel Munoz, according to the San Patricio County District Clerk's Office and the San Patricio County District Attorney's Office.
The alleged incident took place on Dec. 19. 2023. Around 6.30 a.m., police were called to the defendant's house in Mathis - a small town located roughly 35 miles northwest of Corpus Christi. Responding officers with the Mathis Police Department found the child unresponsive and not breathing.
Emergency responders tried to revive the infant girl with CPR before she was rushed to a hospital in Corpus Christi. However, the child, identified as Hazel, was declared dead shortly after admission.
Police Started Investigating Munoz After the Hospital Reported the Child's Injuries
After the child's death, hospital authorities reached out to the police to describe the child's host of injuries.Officers then questioned Munoz, who allegedly readily admitted to injuring her girl during three separate incidents – and never seeking medical attention for Hazel after the fact.
"At the time, Munoz was pregnant and the mother of another daughter, a year and five months old," the police chief told KRIS. "The older child did not have injuries." On Dec. 20, Munoz was initially arrested on two counts of injury to a child. Figueroa said two of the three admitted injuries were charged.
Autopsy Revealed Prolonged Abuse of the Victim, Death Ruled as Homicide
Then, the child's autopsy was performed – outlining the extent of the prolonged abuse Hazel suffered during her short life. The child had several fractures in her arms, ribs, and skull.
In January 2024, the autopsy results were turned over to law enforcement. Hazel's death was determined to be a homicide. Local police then upgraded Munoz's charges to include murder.
Munoz Admitted to Hurting the Child Because She was Mad at the Child's Father
The defendant, by then, was allegedly vocal about why she did what she did to the helpless little girl, according to the police chief.
"She admitted she had a lot of anger towards the 7-month-old baby due to problems she had with the baby's father," Figueroa said. "She told officers that her three children shared the same biological father."
Munoz Now Faces Life in Prison
Munoz was formally indicted on three charges in March 2024, according to court records. She was charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of injury to a child in the first degree in the Lone Star State's 343rd District Court.
In mid-October, the parties announced a plea decision. On Oct. 24, in exchange for the state dropping one of the murder charges and taking the capital murder charge down to a lesser-included murder offense, Munoz pleaded guilty to the two remaining charges.
Under the contours of her plea deal, she will be sentenced to life in prison for both counts, records show. The defendant's formal sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled, San Patricio County officials said.
