2-year-old choked with 'hair tie' by foster brother weeks after being placed in the care of a mother with a dark history: DA

A California teen is charged with murder and "assault with a hairsbreadth tie" aft wrapping a ponytail holder astir the cervix of his 2-year-old foster member and sidesplitting him, conscionable weeks aft the boy was placed successful the attraction of the teen's mother, contempt her having a kid endangerment condemnation connected her record, prosecutors say.

The 18-year-old, who was a insignificant erstwhile the slaying happened connected Easter Sunday, is charged with murder, sexual assault, and felony assault with a hairsbreadth necktie successful transportation with the decease of Jaxon Juarez, who went by the nickname "Baby Jaxon."

The teen's individuality is being withheld by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office arsenic helium is presently charged successful juvenile court. The DA's bureau is seeking to transportation the lawsuit to big court, per a press release.

"The San Jose Police Department recovered Baby Jaxon's small, bruised, and battered assemblage connected April 5, 2026," the DA's merchandise says. "Evidence showed that the child, who is besides the relative of the suspect, had been repeatedly assaulted, sexually and physically, since helium was placed successful the foster household location successful February."

DA Jeff Rosen told reporters Monday astatine a property league that Jaxon was recovered successful his crib with a ponytail holder astir his neck, which led to the "assault with a hairsbreadth tie" charge. He described the execution lawsuit arsenic being "terrible and horrific," with Jaxon suffering "several" traumatic injuries that led to him being hospitalized and placed connected beingness support.

Jaxon aboriginal died connected April 9, per the DA's office.

"We are near with breached hearts and superior questions astir who was watching retired for the information of these highly susceptible children," Rosen said successful his office's property merchandise about Jaxon, who is the 3rd foster kid since 2023 to person been murdered nether the attraction and custody of California's Department of Family and Children's Services, per Rosen.

"Today, we sadly adhd the sanction of Baby Jaxon alongside Baby Phoenix and others connected a database of children whose abbreviated lives person been snuffed retired done cruelty and recklessness," Rosen said. "Jaxon volition ne'er person a accidental astatine life. Jaxon volition ne'er person immoderate mode to archer his ain story. My Office volition talk for him and each the mislaid children arsenic we question justice."

Local officials accidental Jaxon was placed successful the attraction of Bridget Michelle Martinez, his killer's mother, successful February contempt the pistillate having a felony condemnation for kid endangerment, according to section NPR affiliate KQED.

Jaxon's biologic begetter is reportedly Martinez's cousin.

"It is wholly unacceptable," said Riley Wallace, Jaxon's aunt who lives successful Arizona, successful an interrogation with KQED astir Jaxon's placement by DCFS. "They did not support a child, and that's their job," Wallace blasted. "That's what they took the kid for, to support him. And they failed him truthful terribly."

According to Wallace, Jaxon's parent passed distant successful 2025 owed to intoxicant abuse, which prompted the region to instrumentality custody of him. He lived with different foster household and past his maternal gramps adjacent Sacramento for six months earlier being placed successful the attraction of Martinez. Wallace told KQED her household requested to instrumentality Jaxon in, but the region allegedly refused owed to the region from Jaxon's father.

"We person the room," Wallace said, noting however they would person taken Jaxon "in a heartbeat" had they been allowed. "Nothing made sense."

Police and tribunal records obtained by KQED amusement that Martinez was charged and convicted of kid endangerment successful 2014, arsenic good arsenic DUI, aft being caught driving drunk with her 1-year-old girl successful the car with her. She pleaded nary contention and was sentenced to probation.

Martinez besides had a anterior DUI condemnation from 2011 and different DUI complaint successful 2020.

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"It's captious that immoderate placement they decide, the archetypal information should be, is it safe? And are the radical determination susceptible of gathering this child's needs?" Steve Baron, a subordinate of Santa Clara County's Child Abuse Prevention Council, told KQED. "Were they alert of those records? And if not, wherefore not? Because they should person been."

DCFS officials person said they are presently investigating Jaxon's case, calling it "deeply concerning," KQED reports. "The region is committed to swiftly investigating each facet of this horrific calamity and publically sharing the results of these investigations erstwhile disposable and to the grade allowable by law," the bureau said successful a connection past week.

Details surrounding Jaxon's execution lawsuit and the teen who allegedly killed him are not publically available, owed to the defendant's age.

"If his petition is recovered existent successful juvenile court, helium could look 7 years successful Secure Track, a locked installation for juveniles who person been adjudicated of superior crimes," the DA's bureau said successful its property merchandise Monday. "If the lawsuit is sent to big tribunal by a judge, helium could look galore years successful prison."