Pasadena mother appears in court for child's death in locked SUV

(7/31/06 - HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- A Pasadena woman appeared in court Monday after her two-year-old daughter died in a locked SUV over the weekend.

Christina Elaine Alvarez, 21, was charged with injury to a child by omission. She's free on a $10,000 bond. Two-year-old Jasmine apparently wandered out of her home and somehow got into the family's SUV. She was discovered sometime later by another family member.

The girl was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital on Friday night after being found unresponsive.

Police say it took the family hours to find her. Alvarez told authorities she fed the toddler a hamburger that day and she was last seen playing with her six-year-old brother inside the home.

Alvarez says she has a terrible burden to carry for the rest of her life and doesn't know why she's being charged in this case.

"I love my daughter," she said. "I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Some of these vehicles have these safety locks on them, so the child can't get out," said Alvarez's attorney, Charles Portz. "So once the child got in, she may have not been able to get out."

"Whatever they are putting on the news and the paper are nothing but lies," said Tina Womack, Alvarez's mother. "They need to get the story straight, that she's innocent. She didn't do it. Like I said, we are just trying to get my granddaughter buried."

Even though she was in court Monday, her attorney did request a reset date and that was granted. Alvarez will be back in court September 20. Meanwhile, authorities are waiting for the results of an autopsy on the toddler.

Authorities said the charge of injury to a child by omission is a third degree felony. It carries a sentence of between two and ten years if there's a conviction.
(Copyright © 2006, KTRK-TV)

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