Jared Taylor
June 18, 2008 - 7:24AM

McALLEN -- Isaias Ismael Alvarez had a short, hard life.


The toddler, just a week away from his third birthday, died early Saturday morning after a 9-1-1 call reporting that he wasn't breathing.

Ambulances took him from his home on the 1800 block of North Fourth Street to McAllen Medical Center just before 2 a.m. Saturday. He died later that morning.

His mother, Maria Almaguer, 30, of McAllen, was arrested about midnight Tuesday on charges that she beat the boy to death.

His trip to McAllen Medical Center was his last trip to the hospital, but it wasn't the only one in recent months.

The toddler was hospitalized for a fractured skull in January, McAllen police Chief Victor Rodriguez said.

After that injury, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services launched an investigation and stepped in after finding that Almaguer was responsible for neglectful supervision, department spokesman John Lennan said.

Almaguer voluntarily placed the boy and his four siblings in the care of relatives while she received help from the state, Lennan said.
In April, Isaias was hospitalized again for unknown injuries, Rodriguez said. And just two weeks ago, on June 5, he was hospitalized another time - this time with a dislocated elbow.

One day later, the state was informed of that injury and opened another investigation, Lennan said.

On June 7, Almaguer signed a safety plan agreement with the state that would only allow her to have supervised visits with her children, who have been living with a relative.

As of Wednesday, no abuse had been reported against Almaguer's four other children, Lennan said.

Almaguer's mother, Adalbertha Hernandez, said she had only seen signs of abuse against Isaias.

"In front of us, she never did anything." Hernandez said of her daughter in Spanish. "She never had bad behavior. But with the other kids, they were not being abused. It was only with the small one."

Those four other children - ages 4 to 10 - were moved into an area foster home after the state learned of Isaias' death, Lennan said.

An autopsy performed Monday indicates Isaias died from internal injuries caused by blunt force, Rodriguez said.

Family members said they believe Almaguer punched the toddler in the stomach, killing him.

Hernandez said late Wednesday morning that she had not heard of her daughter's arrest.

"I could probably kill her myself," Hernandez said in Spanish. "I want the police to take care of the situation."

Almaguer has told police she resides in McAllen but has not provided any official identification to confirm that claim, Rodriguez said.
Hernandez said her daughter is a Mexican citizen who has overstayed her visa and has been living in McAllen. She added that Isaias' father is incarcerated and that the boy was his only child with Almaguer.

"For what she did, I have no words," Hernandez said in Spanish.

Isaias' death is the second incident in less than a month in which a child in McAllen was allegedly murdered at the hands of their own mother.

Angelica Maria Gutierrez Acosta, 19, was charged with capital murder in the May 30 stabbing death of her 15-day-old infant daughter, Gabriela Yamileth Corona. Law enforcement conducted a region-wide search for the killer before suspicion fell on Gutierrez and she confessed to the killing under police questioning later that day.

"When you think things can't be more brutal, you see things like this," Rodriguez said. "It's sad stuff, but nonetheless, we will go forward."

Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.

http://www.themonitor.com/common/printer/view.php?db=monitortx&id=13312

Emphasis added by H4K Editor