BREAKING: A San Antonio man is now facing a $1 million bond following grave charges related to the death of a 9-month-old baby earlier this year. Rick Artis, aged 31, was charged with injury to a child during a court appearance in Bexar County on Monday, underscoring the severity of the situation as it unfolds.
At the hearing, a judge set Artis’s bond at $1,000,000 and allowed the prosecution to advance with the charge. According to police reports, the infant was discovered unresponsive in a crib at an apartment located on the 6100 block of Ingram Road on January 25, 2023, and was pronounced dead at 10:44 a.m.. An autopsy later revealed a “significant skull fracture likely caused by blunt force trauma,” raising serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
The investigation has drawn on critical evidence, including text messages and footage from a neighbor’s Ring camera, which have been essential in establishing a timeline for that tragic morning. This evidence has been pivotal in moving the case forward, as detailed by KSAT.
Artis is not new to serious allegations; he is also connected to a previous child injury case dating back to October 2018. In that incident, 17-month-old Lyriq Ogilvie Artis was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead, with the medical examiner ruling the death a homicide due to “remote blunt head trauma.” Artis faced indictment in February 2020, but that case has experienced multiple delays, including a dismissal and later reopening.
Under Texas law, a conviction for intentionally causing serious bodily injury to a child can be prosecuted as a first-degree felony. This carries a potential punishment ranging from five to 99 years or life in prison, depending on the circumstances and the defendant’s mental state as outlined in Texas Penal Code §22.04.
Since being booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on January 29, Artis has remained in custody as prosecutors and investigators continue to sift through the evidence. Currently, the case is active, with no immediate comments from the prosecution or the sheriff’s office.
As this case progresses, the community is left grappling with the tragic loss of a young life and the serious implications of these charges. Stay tuned for updates as this developing story unfolds.
