UPDATE: A San Antonio man has been placed under a $1 million bond following serious charges related to the death of a 9-month-old infant earlier this year. Rick Artis, aged 31, faced a Bexar County courtroom on Monday, where he was charged with first-degree felony injury to a child and remains in custody as the case develops.
During the hearing, a judge established Artis’s bond at $1,000,000, allowing prosecutors to advance with the serious charges. Police report that the infant was discovered unresponsive in a crib at an apartment located in the 6100 block of Ingram Road on January 25. The child was pronounced dead at 10:44 a.m. that day. An autopsy revealed a “significant skull fracture likely caused by blunt force trauma,” raising grave concerns about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Investigators have cited crucial evidence, including cellphone texts and footage from a neighbor’s Ring camera, which helped establish a timeline for the events of that morning. This evidence is critical as authorities work diligently to bring clarity to this tragic case.
Artis is no stranger to controversy; he is also linked to a separate child-injury case from October 2018. In that incident, 17-month-old Lyriq Ogilvie Artis was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. The medical examiner ruled Lyriq’s death a homicide due to “remote blunt head trauma.” Artis was indicted in February 2020, but the case has faced numerous delays, including a dismissal and subsequent reopening.
Under Texas law, a conviction for injury to a child causing serious bodily injury can be prosecuted as a first-degree felony, which carries a potential sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison. The classification and severity of the sentence depend on the defendant’s mental state and the extent of the harm inflicted, as outlined in Texas Penal Code §22.04.
Artis was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on January 29 and remains behind bars while prosecutors and investigators continue to sift through evidence. As this case progresses, the community is left grappling with the tragic loss of a young life and the implications of these serious allegations.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as the investigation unfolds. The public is urged to stay informed about this evolving situation that has shocked the San Antonio community.
