Boy Wakes Up To Find His Pregnant Mom Beaten To Death, Allegedly By Her Boyfriend

A Texas boy woke up to find his pregnant mother beside him in bed, beaten to death, over the weekend.

Alexis Armando Rojas-Mendez, 23, is accused of killing Ashley Garcia, 27, and then leaving her body in bed with her 8-year-old son, KHOU 11 reports. The child woke up on Saturday morning and noticed that his mother wasn’t waking up. He ran to a neighbor for help.

When police arrived at the Houston apartment, they found the home’s walls and floors spattered with blood, the Houston Chronicle reports. Furthermore, they discovered a lifeless Garcia. She had suffered severe trauma all over her body and head and was pronounced dead at the scene, KTRK reports. The cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma.

Garcia was a mother of three and was reportedly seven weeks pregnant with her fourth child when she was killed.

Her 8-year-old son told investigators that he witnessed Rojas-Mendez beating his mother with his steel-toe work boots on Friday night, according to court documents. A man who lived in a nearby building told investigators that he witnessed Garcia and Rojas-Mendez arguing in the parking lot outside the building before Rojas-Mendez tried to force her and a young boy into Garcia’s Jeep. He then allegedly saw Rojas-Mendez beat the pregnant mom with a cellphone before dragging her up the stairs of their apartment building. The witness claimed he then heard “pounding noises” coming from their apartment. 

Rojas-Mendez has been charged with murder yet he remains at large. Investigators believe Rojas-Mendez reached out to his sisters after the beating, requesting to borrow money from them for an "out-of-town job,” according to court records. His siblings, who characterized him as “stressed out,” declined to give him money.

Police are urging anyone with information about Rojas-Mendez’ is urged to contact the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.