The long-anticipated trial of a man accused of fatally beating a 5-year-old boy is slated to kick off tomorrow. Daniel Garcia, the suspect in the cruel death of young Domenic Aguilar-Acevedo, is set to face a jury nearly three years after the heinous act first sent shockwaves through the community, as KSAT 12 reported.
Garcia, who was in a relationship with the boy's mother Nickolle Aguilar at the time of the incident, was originally charged with murder. Prosecutors, however, have chosen to take him to trial on a charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, according to KSAT. This charge is a first-degree felony, and despite the gravity, it carries a potential for probation, unlike the outright charge of murder.
Disturbing details emerged regarding the abuse leading up to the moment Domenic was reported dead in August 2021. According to an affidavit obtained by police, Garcia struck Domenic with such force while at an extended stay hotel in San Antonio that the child was thrown off a wall and onto the floor. Surveillance footage appears to show a lifeless body being carried out of the hotel room by Garcia, per the same affidavit.
Nickolle Aguilar, the boy's mother, did not report the abuse. She told authorities she was "too eager" to maintain her romantic involvement with Garcia. Moreover, when questioned on their failure to announce Domenic's death, they were concerned about losing custody of their other children, she revealed. Following these events, the pair transported Domenic's body to Colorado where they buried him in a tactically obscure location near Rocky Mountain State Park before fleeing the country.
Following the discovery of Aguilar-Acevedo's body in Fraser County, Colorado, the couple was apprehended in Florida. Aguilar herself faced charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission. Ultimately, she accepted a plea agreement in exchange for her testimony against Garcia. According to the terms of the deal, she could be sentenced to a maximum of 15 years.
The trial process has been protracted, as both the prosecution and defense initially struggled to secure evidence from the FBI. However, 226th District Court Judge Velia Meza made it clear that she would not allow bureaucratic delays to stall justice. "This whole back and forth is just not going to work," she said, determined to prevent a drawn-out legal process. The case was subsequently ordered to trial.
Those interested in following the court proceedings will be able to do so via KAST's live stream, starting May 21 at around 10:30 a.m. However, certain sensitive testimonies, such as that of Aguilar-Acevedo's young sister who might have witnessed his death, are specially ordered by Judge Meza to remain unstreamed for public viewing.
