Medical examiner: 7-month-old boy at center of Amber Alert died of blunt force trauma

NORMAN, Okla. -- (KFOR) -- The medical examiner's office is releasing more information related to the death of a 7-month-old boy, who was at the center of an Amber Alert earlier this year.

Officials say it all started Feb. 19 when they responded to a report of a domestic assault in the 1500 block of Lakecrest Drive.

Officers determined that 31-year-old Victor Manuel Minjarez violently attacked the mother of his child, and then fled the home with their son, 7-month-old Jody Minjarez.

On Feb. 23, the child's mother obtained an emergency Victim Protective Order that ordered Jody to be returned to her.

Victor Minjarez later sent a text message to a friend, telling her to tell the child's mother that she would never see her son again.

A week later, the Norman Police Department issued an Amber Alert for 7-month-old Jody Minjarez.

The same day, authorities canceled the Amber Alert, saying Victor Minjarez was arrested at a vacant home in the 3000 block of Venice Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

Although police said Minjarez was in custody, they said they were still searching for the baby.

A short time later, police said they found the body of Jody Minjarez in a trashcan outside of the home.

In a probable cause affidavit, Minjarez claimed that he put the infant on a mattress near a heater and woke up to find the child covered in blisters and choking. He claimed that he performed CPR, but the baby died.

Minjarez says the child died about a week before he was arrested.

“Minjarez stated the victim remained in the trash bags inside the trash can for one week until he was arrested on this day and [victim] was located. Minjarez said he did not call 911 or seek medical help for the [victim] because he knew he was wanted by the Police,” the affidavit states.

The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office released a report of Jody Minjarez's death and ruled his death a homicide.

According to the report, the 7-month-old died from blunt force trauma to the head, causing a skull fracture and a subdural hematoma.