San Antonio is grappling with the tragic story of Rick Artis, a 31-year-old man accused of causing fatal injuries to a 9-month-old child, who died while in his care earlier this year. Artis made a court appearance on Monday and faces a charge of injury to a child, a first-degree felony, with a reported bond of $1 million, according to KSAT 12 News.
On the morning of January 25, Artis reportedly discovered the child unresponsive in their crib at a residence on Ingram Road, immediately alarming the child's mother before contacting emergency services at 10:30 a.m.; however, video obtained by SAPD depicts Artis "using his cellphone" outside the apartment as early as 9:33 a.m, and he was later seen sending texts discussing the child's death before the 911 call was placed, as detailed by KSAT 12 News.
The infant was pronounced dead shortly after emergency personnel arrived, and while initial observations showed no "visible injuries or signs of foul play," a subsequent autopsy revealed a "significant skull fracture" consistent with "blunt force trauma," the Bexar County Medical Examiner indicated, signifying the grave nature of the infant's injuries; additionally, this is not Artis' first instance of being implicated in such circumstances, as he was indicted in 2020 for a separate injury to a child case involving another infant who succumbed to injuries under his care, as reported by KSAT.
The implication of Rick Artis in this harrowing ordeal serves as a chilling echo of past accusations, raising piercing questions about the circumstances leading to the untimely demise of yet another young life, with the child's mother recounting to investigators that she returned home after midnight to find her children seemingly unharmed, and the 9-month-old alert in their crib, as she told authorities, per reports from FOX San Antonio.
