Juan Santos Huerta was sentenced to 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice by Judge Torres-Stahl of the 175th District Court today. Huerta was charged with injury to the elderly with serious bodily injury by omission in the death of his 74-year-old mother, Maria Del Socorro Huerta. The defendant had pled guilty to the charges on May 7, 2024, but sentencing was postponed pending the findings of a pre-sentencing investigation ordered by the judge.
Injury to the elderly with serious bodily injury by omission is a first-degree felony in Texas, carrying a penalty of 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a potential fine of up to $10,000.00. In this case, the judge waived the fine and court costs. The District Attorney's Office had agreed to a sentencing cap of 30 years but opposed any probation or deferred adjudication.
The incident occurred on September 4, 2021, when law enforcement officers were dispatched to a residence where they found Maria Del Socorro Huerta deceased. Investigations revealed that her son, Juan Santos Huerta, had failed to seek proper medical care for her, provide adequate nutrition, or maintain her hygiene. Ms. Huerta had open sores that were infected and had not been moved from her bed for approximately two years.
The case was assigned to the Family Violence Division of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office and was handled by Assistant District Attorneys Ana Ochoa Nelson and Margie Hilmo, with assistance from Crime Victims' Advocate Cristina Lopez and Criminal Investigator Michelle Grabowski.
"I cannot imagine the pain and loneliness that Maria Del Socorro Huerta experienced prior to her death," said Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales, "Nor can I imagine how a son would allow such a thing to happen to his mother."