HOUSTON – A judge denied bond for Erika Miranda-Alvarez, the 28 year-old woman accused of killing Carolina Flores and stealing her newborn baby two days ago.
New court records revealed Miranda-Alvarez denied stabbing Flores to death, but admitted to taking 6-week-old Shamali Flores.
Miranda-Alvarez did not appear during her the initial court proceedings because she was in medical care, according to the judge. It’s unclear what she was being treated for.
During magistrate court, it was learned Miranda-Alvarez waived her Miranda rights, and spoke with detectives about what happened on Tuesday.
“The defendant was asked at that point to come down to the police headquarters to be questioned, she agreed and was patted down prior to being transported. During that pat down, officers discovered three hospital bracelets in her pocket,” said a prosecutor.
Investigators said two of the hospital bracelets from LBJ Hospital belonged to Flores and the other to Shamali, her newborn baby.
Court records state Miranda-Alvarez went to Flores’ apartment Tuesday morning and found the door open and Flores already dead on the floor.
Investigators stated Miranda-Alvarez took Shamali and left the apartment.
“She said she had recently been pregnant but had lost the child to stillbirth, she took the complainant’s (Flores’) daughter because she did not want to disappoint her boyfriend because she had lost her baby,” explained a prosecutor during the initial court proceedings.
Detectives said she also admitted to talking Flores’ cell phone.
Miranda-Alvarez claimed Shamali was her own baby, and once she took the infant to her Southwest Houston apartment, she fed the child.
Authorities said investigators said Flores’ body was found on the bedroom floor with stab wounds to her neck and head.
Detectives found a pair of scissors on a bed near where Flores was, but they’re not sure if it was used in the homicide.
Here's what we learned at Thursday's hearing:
- Miranda-Alvarez was not present. The judge said she is currently under medical supervision.
- Miranda-Alvarez is charged with capital murder.
- On Dec. 19, Carolina Flores was stabbed multiple times in the neck and head area, was killed in her apartment.
- Shamali Flores was missing from the scene and had been kidnapped.
- Flores was identified from documents at the residence and also family members who arrived at the scene
- The officer located documentation of Shamali's birth from LBJ Hospital.
- Family members said they saw Carolina and Shamali alive the morning of Dec. 19 before leaving for school.
- A relative returned to the apartment around 11:30 a.m. and found Carolina dead on the bedroom floor.
- Homicide detectives found Shamali at another apartment at a different address in southwest Houston. The child was found in the possession of Miranda-Alvarez.
- Miranda-Alvarez admitted going to Carolina's apartment on Dec. 19.
- Miranda-Alvarez said the front door was open and Carolina was lying dead on her bedroom floor when she arrived at the apartment.
- Miranda-Alvarez told authorities she took Shamali and left the apartment.
- Miranda-Alvarez said she had recently been pregnant but had lost the child to stillbirth.
- Miranda-Alvarez told authorities that she took Shamali because she did not want to disappoint her boyfriend because she had lost her baby.
- Miranda-Alvarez told authorities she took the Carolina’s hospital wristbands from when she delivered Shamali at LBJ Hospital as she left Carolina's apartment.
- Miranda-Alvarez also admitted to taking Carolina’s cell phone from the apartment.
- Miranda-Alvarez denied stabbing Carolina.
- Miranda-Alvarez told detectives she pretended Shamali was her own child, took the infant home and fed the child.
- Officers found a pair of scissors on top of the bed near Carolina's body, but said it is unclear whether or not the scissors are the murder weapon.
- The judge ruled that probable cause did exist.
- The court set no bond in Miranda-Alvarez's case.