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Vigil held for slain 1-year-old girl

Mark Hernandez's charges upgraded to capital murder
Mark Anthony Hernandez
Posted at 8:51 AM, May 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-13 21:47:11-04

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Cole Park to honor the memory of Jessell Lopez, a 1-year-old girl who was found unconscious in a Southside apartment.

Friends, family and others gathered together to remember Lopez in the vigil, which can be seen here.

UPDATE: The 1-year-old girl who was found unconscious in an apartment earlier this week has died.

According to Corpus Christi Police Department Senior Officer Travis Pace, the girl died at 5:03 p.m. Wednesday. Detectives with the Police Department's Family Violence Unit secured a warrant for capital murder and served it to the suspect Mark Anthony Hernandez in the Nueces County Jail.

"Due to child's age and due to her death, the suspect was charged with capital murder," Pace said.

"There were enough injuries there to determine something happened. It was determined it wasn't an accident. The injuries were consistent with this not being an accident."

Hernandez's bond has now been set at $1 million.

Hernandez appeared before Jail Magistrate Melissa Madrigal Thursday morning where his charges were upgraded.

A fundraiser has been created for the victim's family's funeral and memorial expenses.

ORIGINAL STORY: A 31-year-old man is in custody after he was arrested in connection with an incident where a 1-year-old infant was found unconscious Monday at the Latitude Apartments.

Mark Anthony Hernandez is in Nueces County Jail under bonds totaling $30,000 on an injury to a child charge.

Police said a 1-year-old infant was found unconscious and taken to a local hospital after paramedics performed CPR to help resuscitate her.

Hernandez was identified by police as the boyfriend of the child's mother.

He told police the girl was hurt when she fell off a bed. Officers say the bed he referred to was a mattress on the floor with no box springs.

The child lost pulse, but paramedics were able to perform CPR to revive her.

Police were called to the apartments in the 6400 block of Weber Road near Saratoga just after 3 p.m Monday.

The baby's current condition is unknown.

Police say there was another child at the apartment at the time of the incident.