CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Robstown mother Chasity Herrera is speaking out after news broke this week that murder charges against her former live-in boyfriend in the death of her 18-month-old daughter had been dropped.
"I'm mad," Herrera said. "I'm very upset. I know for a fact that my daughter was murdered by this man."
The Nueces County District Attorney's office actually dropped the charges against Daniel Ortiz back in July citing "insufficient evidence to prove the Defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." DNA evidence matching Ortiz found underneath Arabella Sanchez's fingernails is what led to the charges against Ortiz that included capital murder. Herrera says that and other evidence should be enough to send Ortiz to trial.
"It's only fair that that the courts and the DA do something," she said. "[Ortiz] took away everything from me. He needs to be put away before he hurts somebody else."
Prosecutors can re-file charges if more evidence comes in. KRIS 6 News began reaching out to the Nueces County District Attorney yesterday afternoon for answers but District Attorney Mark Gonzales has not yet responded.
Herrera says she made a promise to her daughter to get her justice. She says that's why she's speaking out in hopes of getting the case more attention and not letting the trail grow cold.
"I'm not going to be quiet no more," she said. "I'm going to talk, and I'm going to say everything. You're not going to do nothing for me? I'm going to fight for my daughter."
