Texas mom Emma Torres, had an argument on February 11, 2025, with her boyfriend, Enrique Lopez. She had a court date to attend, and Lopez didn’t want her to leave. Lopez did his best to physically stop her, but Torres eventually got away from him at the Veranda Apartments in Corpus Christi. She left her 3-year-old, Augustine “Augie” Valencia, and his 2-year-old brother in Lopez’s care. Augie died that day, and now Lopez will spend decades in jail for his role in the toddler’s death.
On the morning of Augie’s death, Torres and Lopez argued through text message after she left the apartment, according to court documents obtained by KIII. Between 8:37 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., the pair texted back and forth and Lopez called Torres five times, but she didn’t answer.
During the text conversation, Torres accused Lopez of wanting her to die and treating her like [expletive] and told him to leave, per KIII. She also accused him of being mad. He told her he wasn’t going to work and she told him to go.
At 9:29 a.m., he messaged, “text me when you’re out.” Lopez called 911 and said Augie wasn’t breathing.
Emergency responders took Augie to CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital South. At the time, he was in cardiac arrest and had bruises on his face, back, and stomach, KIII reported. A CT scan found an acute subdural hemorrhage caused by a skull fracture. Doctors put Augie on a ventilator and transferred him to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where he died later that day.
Following Augie’s death, his grandmother, Cyndi Villanueva, shared her heartache with KRIS.
“This is devastating. My grandson was a beautiful soul. He was the most loving, caring child you could ever meet. He only wanted hugs, kisses, and to love on you,” she said. “So, him being taken away from us like this, just doesn’t make any sense.”
A judge has now sentenced Lopez to 35 years in prison for his role in Augie’s death, KIII reported. It’s a long sentence, but it doesn’t feel long enough. Three-year-olds have no way to defend themselves against an angry adult whom they trust.
Torres initially faced two counts of injury to a child by omission because she failed to protect her children from an unsafe situation, but prosecutors dropped the charges in August 2025. She’ll likely never forgive herself for putting Augie and his brother in harm’s way. Living with that kind of guilt might be punishment enough.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
