A West Texas police chief says the toddler whose body was found in the basement of her caretaker's home died from blunt force trauma.
Crosbyton Chief Greg Parrott said Tuesday that investigators have presumptively identified the body as 2-year-old Leah Marie Aguirre. He says other scientific means will be used to positively identify the body found Jan. 10.
The caretaker, 42-year-old Matilda Almaraz, is charged with capital murder and was being held in the Garza County Jail on $1 million bond. Jail records did not indicate if Almaraz has an attorney.
Leah was living at the Almaraz home in Crosbyton, about 40 miles east of Lubbock. The mother at some point turned Leah over to Almaraz. Child welfare officials let Almaraz keep the girl after an inspection and background check.
