MATHIS, Texas — Nearly two years after the tragic death of 7-month-old Hazel Muñoz, her mother has been sentenced to life in prison following a guilty plea in San Patricio County court.
Olivia Muñoz, now 22, was delivered to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) this week after receiving two life sentences on October 24, 2025. She pleaded guilty to murder and injury to a child charges stemming from the December 2023 death of her infant daughter.
The case began on December 19, 2023, when Muñoz told Mathis police she woke up to find Hazel unresponsive at their home on the 900 block of Marigold Street. According to then Mathis Police Chief Guillermo "Willie" Figueroa, Muñoz initially claimed she found the baby not breathing, prompting the child's grandmother to have another family member call 911.
When Hazel was pronounced dead at the hospital, medical officials contacted police after discovering the infant had sustained injuries. During questioning, investigators say Muñoz admitted to injuring the child during three separate incidents and never seeking medical attention for her daughter.
Texas Ranger Cody Lankford and the Mathis Police Department arrested Muñoz on December 20, 2023, initially charging her with two counts of injury to a child. The charges were later upgraded to capital murder after autopsy results revealed Hazel had suffered multiple fractures to her arms, skull, and ribs, with the death ruled a homicide.
During the investigation, police say Muñoz admitted to having anger toward her 7-month-old daughter due to problems she had with the baby's father. According to Chief Figueroa, Muñoz told officers that her three children shared the same biological father. Her other daughter, who was a year and five months old at the time, showed no signs of injury.
Muñoz was pregnant when arrested and had been held on a $1.1 million bond at the San Patricio County Jail until her sentencing.
San Patricio County officials praised the collaborative effort that brought justice in the case, thanking jail staff for their work during Muñoz's confinement, as well as the District Attorney's Office, Texas Rangers, and Mathis Police Department for their response to the tragic incident.
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