Hidalgo County Father Wanted for Capital Murder After Daughter’s Death; Mother Arrested
UPDATE November 23, 2024: Capital Murder Suspect, Jose Manuel Uresti has been taken into custody by the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force of the US Marshals Service at the Anzalduas International Bridge.
Original Post:
On Friday morning, November 22, 2024, the Hidalgo County Forensic Pathologist confirmed the cause of death for a 3-year-old girl, ruling it as blunt force trauma and officially declaring it a homicide. The child, who was found unresponsive at a rural Donna address on November 21, suffered extensive injuries, including bruises, lacerations, burns, and bite marks, indicating a history of prolonged abuse.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has issued an arrest warrant for the child’s father, 23-year-old Jose Manuel Uresti, on charges of Capital Murder. Law enforcement agencies, including federal partners, are actively searching for Uresti.
The child’s mother, 25-year-old Wendy Sarai Rivera, has been arrested and charged with Failure to Report a Felony (Class A Misdemeanor) and Injury to a Child (1st Degree Felony). She appeared before Justice of the Peace Jason Peña, where her bond was set at $500,000 for the failure to report charge and $2,000,000 for the injury to a child charge.
On the afternoon of November 21, HCSO deputies responded to a call at the 9700 block of Klarrisa in Donna, where they found the unresponsive child. She was transported to Edinburg Children’s Hospital but was pronounced dead at 5:32 PM. Investigators are continuing to search for Uresti and gather additional evidence.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office strongly encourages anyone with information related to this case to come forward. If you have any information, please contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office at (956) 383-8114. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at (956) 668-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip through the “P3 TIPS” smartphone application.
