Daniel Garcia, 29, was sentenced to life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice by 226th District Court Judge Meza for charges of Injury to a Child with Serious Bodily Injury in connection with the death of 5-year-old Domenic Aguilar-Acevedo. A jury in the same court had earlier found Garcia guilty of the first-degree felony, which carries a punishment range of 5-99 years or life in prison.
Garcia was initially charged with murder, but prosecutors opted to proceed with the charge of Injury to a Child with Serious Bodily Injury as a legal strategy. Both charges are first-degree felonies with identical punishment ranges. Proving a specific cause of death, necessary for a murder conviction, was challenging due to the time elapsed before Domenic's body was discovered. However, the evidence of serious injury was clear.
In late July 2021, Garcia, his girlfriend Nickolle Aguilar, and her son Domenic were staying at an extended-stay hotel in San Antonio. Garcia struck Domenic with significant force, and surveillance footage later showed Garcia carrying what appeared to be a child's body out of their hotel room and down the stairs. The couple then drove to a campsite in Colorado, where they buried Domenic's body in a ravine near their campsite.
The investigation began when Domenic's grandmother, concerned for his welfare, contacted authorities. When questioned, Nickolle Aguilar could not account for Domenic's absence. Authorities interviewed the grandmother in Costa Rica and arrested Garcia and Aguilar in Florida. They were extradited to Bexar County for trial.
The case was handled by the Family Violence Division of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office, with Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Oscar Salinas and Nathan Morey leading the prosecution. Crime Victims' Assistants Advocate Sarah Young and Investigator Edgar Castro also contributed to the trial preparation.
"Thank you to the San Antonio and Denver FBI field offices, the San Antonio Police Department, and the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for their diligent efforts in investigating this case. Their dedication ensured that this Defendant received the life sentence he deserved," said Assistant District Attorney Oscar Salinas.
"The evidence in this case is tragic and painful from beginning to end. Our office will continue to go after those people who harm our children," said Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales, "Domenic deserved so much better that he got in life and Daniel Garcia deserves every last day of his time in prison."
