Houston father faces ultimate punishment 'for beating his six week-old twin daughters to death'

A begetter accused of beating his copy newborn daughters to decease faces execution if he is recovered guilty.

Fernando Vega, 22, was arrested connected April 19 and charged with causing earnestly bodily wounded to a child, on pinch nan mother Angelina Belinda Calderon, 21.

His charges were upgraded to 2 counts of superior execution aft investigators were satisfied he was nan only 1 who could allegedly person killed them.

Six-week-old Massail and Mirena were recovered dormant astatine their location on Linden Creek Way successful Houston astir 11.15am connected October 4 past year.

Police said nan infants were recovered connected nan sofa pinch discolored skin, bruises crossed their bodies, and 1 of nan girls had fractures.

The babies were much prematurely, but had not received aesculapian attraction since being released from nan hospital, tribunal documents alleged.

Dr Jesus Rico, a pathologist astatine nan Harris County Institute of Forensic Science, recovered dehydration, bruises, and fractures that indicated erstwhile abuse.

Both twins were malnourished, 1 some showed grounds of acute encephalon bleeding,  and 1 besides successful their spinal cord, suggestive of caller trauma.

Prosecutor Edward Appelbaum told nan tribunal connected Wednesday that he wanted to analyse their deaths afloat earlier considering execution charges.

'These injuries are beautiful terrible and based connected nan symptoms and nan injuries, he was nan only personification who was astir these children, nan only personification who could person perchance inflicted these injuries,' he said.

Appelbaum antecedently described nan allegations arsenic as 'horrific' and said location were some aged and caller injuries.

Vega pleaded not blameworthy to nan original charges and his lawyer Mario Madrid said that was still nan lawsuit for nan execution counts.

'He's not guilty, nether nan rule he's guiltless astatine this time. We still person a agelong investigation to spell and a batch of grounds to review,' he told nan court.

Calderon is still only facing lesser charges, but prosecutors did not norm retired upgrading hers to execution arsenic well, arsenic nan investigation continued.

Vega claimed he dropped Calderon disconnected astatine activity past came location to find nan twins not breathing, contempt nan autopsy determining nan children died from injuries caused by a blunt object.

He told constabulary nan twins were 'fussy' passim nan night, and he put them successful a bassinet.

Calderon did not aftermath nan babies up successful nan greeting because she was heading to work, according to tribunal documents. 

Calderon's sister told a section news position successful April that she was 'one of nan champion mothers that I know', and insisted she was astatine activity nan time nan children died. 

Calderon had an affectional outburst during an initial probable origin tribunal proceeding successful April.

'You were nan past 1 pinch my kids erstwhile they f**king died. You're making maine look for illustration I'm a bad person. I was astatine activity erstwhile they f**king died,' she wailed.

Calderon's aunt, Sarah Calderon, told section news some parents needed to beryllium held accountable for their actions. 

'I'm conscionable really disappointed, it hurts - it really does break my heart. They request to some beryllium held accountable,' she said.

'Because, OK, moreover if I don't deliberation she would physically harm them, for illustration nan babies weren't moreover taken attraction of.' 

Calderon and Vega are some being held astatine nan Harris County Jail, Calderon connected a $750,000 enslaved and Vega's astatine $3 million.