Final person sentenced in 2018 shooting of San Angelo toddler

SAN ANGELO — A San Angelo man became the only one of four people charged in the 2018 shooting of a toddler to be sentenced to jail, according to court documents.

On April 8, 2021, Juan Manuel Mata Jr. attended a plea hearing in a case where a 2-year-old child was shot by another child in 2018. Mata, who was asleep on the couch with a gun, was subsequently charged with endangering a child criminal negligence and tampering evidence.

Mata pleaded guilty to the endangerment charge and was sentenced to 600 days in jail. Mata and the co-defendants must pay $182,044.56 in restitution together, according to online court records.

Toddler shot, four adults arrested on child endangerment charges

About 3:20 p.m. Aug. 2018, a 2-year-old child arrived at Shannon Medical Center with a gunshot wound to their forehead. The child was flown to Cook Children's Medical Center while police and SWAT converged on a residence in the 300 block of North Schroeder Street.

Investigators found a .45-caliber cartridge casing in the living room on a bloody love seat and a bullet in the south wall. Child witnesses told police a man with a handgun in his waistband was sleeping on the love seat. One of the children took the gun, which fired and injured the toddler.

"Investigation revealed that the shooting was an accident that resulted from another young child gaining access to a gun," a police news release stated. "No charges will be filed against that child, as per Texas law." 

Juan Mata slept through the gunshot and was woken by a third child. Mata then took the gun and fled.

The toddler's mother, Linda Garcia, heard the gunshot from outside the residence and took the child to the hospital.

Police were unable to find the man, but reached him on a phone. He refused to return to the residence. Investigators found and arrested him the next day. 

In December 2018, Mata, Garcia and two other women were indicted in the case. The three women were indicted on serious bodily injury to a child. One of the women, Bianca Catalina Esquivel, was awaiting trial for possession of methamphetamine when the child was injured.

Women sentenced in child shooting

Garcia, 25, was sentenced to nine years deferred adjudication and had to pay a $2,000 fine after pleading guilty Oct. 17, 2019, according to online court records. She is named as the 2-year-old's mother in the affidavit.

Mecayla Perez, 20, pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2020 and received four years deferred adjudication, according to online jail records.

Esquivel, 22, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and serious bodily injury to a child on Feb. 3, 2020. She was sentenced to 14 years deferred adjudication and fined $2,500.

The co-defendants have to pay $182,044.56 in restitution, according to online court records.

Alana Edgin is a journalist covering Crime and Courts in West Texas. Send her a news tip at aedgin@gannett.com.