Ariel Reyes remains held on a $1 million bond in the case tied to the 2022 death of 2-month-old Azriel Reyes-Rodriguez.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A judge denied a request Tuesday to lower the bond for Ariel Reyes, the man charged in connection with the 2022 death of 2-month-old Azriel Reyes-Rodriguez.
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During a pretrial hearing, Reyes’ attorneys asked the court to reconsider his $1 million bond after receiving competency and insanity evaluation reports from a doctor.
The judge denied the request for now, saying the case must continue toward trial because Reyes has already spent a long time in jail awaiting court proceedings.
Attorneys told the court they are still reviewing a large amount of evidence connected to the case. “I’m still working through it. It is a lot,” one defense attorney said during the hearing.
Court officials discussed a possible trial setting around July 14, although attorneys on both sides said they are still preparing and reviewing evidence.
The charges stem from the March 2022 death of Azriel Reyes-Rodriguez.
According to previous reporting, Reyes was originally arrested on an injury to a child charge after family members said the baby was allegedly dropped in a bathtub.
Azriel’s family has continued publicly calling for accountability in the child’s death. Xandra Burnett, the baby’s aunt, previously told 3NEWS that Reyes allegedly admitted several times that he dropped the child.
“He did admit to, ‘I dropped him in the tub,’ on multiple occasions,” Burnett said in an earlier interview.
Family members also told 3NEWS they believe the infant’s injuries were more severe than an accidental fall.
“There’s no way you cannot tell me he didn’t shake him,” Burnett previously said.
The case remains ongoing.