A Lamar County jury convicted 65-year old Ramon Alvarez of Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Injury to a Child Causing Serious Mental Injury, on Tuesday.
After hearing punishment evidence, the jury sentence Alvarez to 60-years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on each count, according to First Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Kaminar.
In January 2024, members of the community attempted to help repair a van belonging to Alvarez and another individual, Felicia Scroggins, who described themselves as missionaries.
Their van had broken down in the Home Depot parking lot, where they had been living after arriving in Paris. When towing the van to their house for repairs, good Samaritans observed what appeared to be a five-year old child inside the van.
Paris police and Child Protective Services investigators responded to assess the living conditions and investigate a potential human trafficking situation.
They learned that the child was actually Scroggins’s ten-year old daughter and removed her from Alvarez and Scroggins’s custody.
“The jurors heard about the ten year old child weighing less than 40 pounds and the months of therapy required for her to walk more than a little bit at time or develop beyond a 3-4 year old level,” said Kaminar. “They also heard about how the child will never regain the lost growth after living in a van for seven years.”
The jury saw photos of the van’s interior, including a bucket used as a toilet with fresh feces.
“A psychologist diagnosed the girl with post-traumatic stress disorder and described the ongoing effects of her confinement in the van.”
“The most powerful testimony came from the child herself,” said Assistant District Attorney Erin Lewis. “She described how she would only be allowed to eat a block of dry ramen noodles for dinner and was beaten almost daily by Alvarez.”
During the punishment phase of trial, the jury heard from Jacklyn Houston, Alvarez’s biological child.
Houston testified about years of physical abuse and starvation at Alvarez’s hands, echoing the child’s testimony from the day before.
She described her ongoing physical and mental health problems as a result of Alvarez’s actions.
The jury sentenced Alvarez to 60 years in prison on each of the two counts and Judge Wes Tidwell ordered the sentences to be stacked for a total of 120 years in prison.
Lamar County District Attorney Gary Young said, “We appreciate the jury’s hard work in this case. The facts in this case should be heartbreaking for any person to hear. The people of our community saw a child in horrific living conditions and summoned help for her. After that, the citizens on the jury sent a powerful message that we will protect our children.”
The case was tried in the 6th District Court before Judge Wes Tidwell.
Alvarez was prosecuted by Benjamin Kaminar and Erin Lewis; Clay Johnson of Sulphur Springs was court ordered to represent him.
