Gruesome details emerge in case of homeless ‘dad’ who allegedly murdered his infant AMBER Alert son

An Oklahoma man accused of killing his 7-month-old son was officially charged with murder and other felony offenses on Wednesday after gruesome details emerged, prosecutors confirm.

NewsOK reports that accused baby killer Victor Manuel Minjarez, 31, remains behind bars without bail for the murder of his 7-month-old infant son, Jody Minjarez.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Minjarez allegedly admitted that he took his infant son and fled, following an argument with the little boy’s mother, Nicole Ann Harrington, on February 19.

Minjarez reportedly told police that he snuck into an empty home on Venice Boulevard in Oklahoma City, where he hid out with the baby for a few weeks before police found him earlier this week. The suspect said that while on a mattress, he put the infant too close to a heater, and when he woke up, his son had blisters on his face.

Victor Minjarez [Photo: Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office]
According to police, Minjarez said he went back to sleep, but later on during the night, woke up to Jody gurgling with “bubbles around his mouth.” The child reportedly became unresponsive, but instead of calling for help, Minjarez wrapped the baby in a blanket and stuffed him in a trash can outside.

An initial autopsy report conducted by the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office last Thursday, however, paints a different picture of what happened to baby Jody. According to the preliminary autopsy report, the little boy died from blunt force trauma to the head from”battering.”

Minjarez was arrested after authorities found him hiding out in a home off of the 3000 block of Venice Blvd.  Police issued an AMBER Alert for Jody after Minjarez reportedly sent a disturbing text message to Harrington.

Harrington told police that on February 19, Minjarez beat her with his fists, then knocked her to ground and began stomping on her before he took the baby. She said he also had a double-sided axe that he threatened to “chop her head off” with. Yet, when she called the police, she apparently told them she didn’t feel the baby was in danger, which led to authorities holding off on an AMBER Alert. Harrington said that the suspect had taken Jody before for up to week before returning him.

ORIGINAL Story: AMBER ALERT: 7-month-old boy violently abducted by homeless biological father, cops say he is in physical danger

Police put out an AMBER Alert over a week later, after Harrington obtained an emergency protective order against Minjarez and provided them with the threatening text message. By the time they found the suspect, it was too late. Jody was found deceased in an outside trash can.

Court records indicate that Minjarez, who police described as transient and homeless, was reportedly “an admitted Juarito gang member.” He has numerous arrests on his record, including a charge for marijuana possession (with the intent to distribute) and a public drunkenness charge.

Harrington reportedly admitted that she completed a 90-day sentence in jail after assaulting a police officer and that she’s currently on probation for a methamphetamine charge. She said she dropped out of high school when she became pregnant.

Meanwhile, detectives continue to build a case against the suspect. He’s charged with felony first-degree murder, one felony count of desecrating a human corpse, and one felony count of second-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into an empty home.

Check back with CrimeOnline as we continue to provide coverage on the case.

[Feature Photo: Jody Minjarez/Police Handout]