Jurors hear testimony from mother of Willacy County murder victim during trial

The first week of the murder trial of the man accused in the death of his girlfriend's grandson ended on Friday.

Ruben Gonzalez is one of three people charged in 2022 with murder and four counts of assault on a child in connection with the death of 13-year-old Jesse Harrison Jr.

According to previous reports, the teenager died in January 2021 after being hospitalized with breathing difficulties.

The indictment against Gonzalez and two other suspects says Harrison was beaten and starved before his death.

Gonzalez had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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On Friday, jurors were shown a video recording of Harrison's mother being questioned by the lead investigator in the case.

Harrison's mother, Sabrina Loredo, faces the same charges in connection with the death as Gonzalez.

The photo was taken the day Harrison was admitted to the hospital.

The investigator said that before interviewing Loredo, he had seen photographs of Harrison that showed numerous bruises and scars on his body.

When asked about the scratches on the recording, Loredo said Harrison told her the scratches were from her dogs and later said Harrison had scratched himself.

The investigator said he believed Loredo lied about Harrison's bruises and eating habits.

In that 2021 interview, Loredo told the investigator she did not see any bruises on her son and that the teenager would eat more than anyone else in the house.

The investigator told the jury that he could clearly see the bruises in the photos and how thin Harrison had been before his death.

Antonia Villarreal Gonzalez, the boy's grandmother, is also charged in connection with the death.

Loredo and Antonia Villarreal Gonzalez are expected to testify in the trial next week.

Watch the video above to hear the full story.