5-Year-Old’s Body Found In Houston Apartment Closet

Sierra Patino, 5,  had just begun Kindergarten, and now not only is her education over, but also, her life.

Sierra's mom, Priscilla Torres, and boyfriend, Santiago Esparza Jr. may be the only ones who truly know how her life ended. On August 23, Torres and her daughter moved into an apartment with Esparza, where he was also the maintenance man.

Fearing that she would lose her daughter to CPS, Torres and Esparza decided against taking Sierra for medical attention. The couple put Sierra to bed and watched as the young girl became sicker and sicker over the next four days. Priscilla states that her daughter could not hold down food, was throwing up, and going in and out of consciousness.

Torres states that it was on that fourth day that Sierra passed. It was at that time that the couple decided to put the girl's body in a bedroom closet. After storing the body, Torres and Esparza stayed at a hotel in Jacinto city and even took a trip to Galveston.

Six days after Sierra's death, Esparza and Torres returned home and called 911. Houston Police have arrested both Priscilla Torres and Santiago Esparza Jr. Priscilla is being held on a $50,000 bond for tampering with a corpse, and Esparza's bond is set at $100,000.