Twenty-three-year-old Marissa Salas was taken into custody Monday to begin a 20-year prison sentence after a Bexar County judge rejected a last-minute bid to keep her out of jail a little longer. She was handcuffed in the 437th District Court as supporters sobbed in the gallery, turning an already tense hearing into an emotional scene, as reported by KSAT.
Judge Joel Perez denied a motion from Salas' attorneys to postpone her incarceration and ordered that she start serving the 20-year term immediately, according to KSAT. Prosecutors and the defense had previously agreed Salas could remain free on bond until after she gave birth because her pregnancy was considered high-risk. Courtroom photos captured a bailiff escorting Salas away from the bench as the hearing wrapped up.
The criminal case traces back to June 2022, when deputies reported finding a 15-month-old girl with severe injuries, including burn marks, a fractured skull and a brain bleed, according to a Bexar County grand-jury release. Salas later pleaded guilty to an omission charge and was sentenced in April to 20 years in prison, reporting from the San Antonio Express-News shows. Her co-defendant, Thomas Torres, pleaded guilty and received a five-year prison term in 2023, according to court records.
Judge's Courthouse Order And DA Response
Separate from the criminal prosecution, a civil custody dispute involving the same family has raised eyebrows across the local legal community. In that case, 45th District Court Judge Mary Lou Alvarez ordered that Salas' then 4-day-old infant be taken from the mother and kept in the courthouse's Children's Court protective room on Oct. 7 until Child Protective Services could arrive. It was, by any measure, an unusual use of courthouse space.
Bexar County District Attorney Civil Division Chief Larry Roberson called the move "extraordinary" in a letter requesting an administrative review, arguing that the court had "unilaterally determined that the biological parents were unfit" and warning the action could raise due-process and constitutional concerns. Court notes show Alvarez later returned the baby to Salas on Oct. 21, and a CPS spokeswoman said the agency has an open investigation but does not have custody of the child, as reported by KSAT.
Reprimand And What It Means
Alvarez was publicly reprimanded in May by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. The commission’s public record lists multiple findings against her and a series of appellate reversals. That reprimand, along with local commentary, has legal observers warning that the Oct. 7 order involving the newborn could raise additional statutory and constitutional issues, as discussed in the San Antonio Express-News. The DA's request for an administrative review is now the formal vehicle to test whether Alvarez's actions stepped beyond her authority.
What's Next For The Case
With Salas now in jail, her 20-year prison sentence will go forward. The separate civil case about who will care for the baby is still not settled. Lawyers on both sides can still file emergency requests in civil court, and Child Protective Services will continue its private investigation, which will play a major role in the final custody decision, as per KSAT.
