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Alleged Violent Torture Of Child By Modesto Couple Laid Out In Court Documents

MODESTO (CBS13) – Gruesome details revealed in court documents alleging a 3-year-old boy was tortured by his own mother and her fiancée.

"I can't even sleep at night. I just don't know what to do or what to think," said April Marie Garza.

Garza read the headlines from across the country. Her sister Connie Escamilla and fiancée Kylie Beasley were charged with torturing and killing Escamilla's 3-year-old son Gilbert.

"How can you let someone hurt your child? She could've done anything to stop it. I don't know what she was thinking or what this girl did," she said.

April believes her sister started to change after she moved to California and met Beasley. She knew something was wrong after her sister refused to send pictures of the kids.

"I feel this is very unfair for a child to be hurt the way he was hurt," she said.

Escamilla and Beasley are facing serious felony charges including mayhem and torture, which court documents show the two had the intent to cause cruel or extreme pain to the young boy.

"Mayhem is charged when there is permanent injury that occurs and if the facts are true that our alleged in this case, that would be true here," said Professor John Myers with McGeorge School of Law.

He said these charges could lead to life without parole or capital punishment.

"All three of these crimes mayhem torture and murder are most serious and we are talking about years and years in prison for a conviction of any of them," Myers said.

If these allegations are true, April believes her sister and fiancée should never be released.

"She is my sister and I love her, but I'm very hurt that she has a bond because I feel like she shouldn't have a bond because that's not going to bring my nephew back," she cried.

Gilbert was full of life and always smiling and she can't imagine life without him.

"My nephew deserves justice," she said.

His 7-year-old sister was placed in child protective services. April hopes to bring her back to their family in San Antonio.

As for the two suspects, they declined a jail house interview.

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