Grand Jury Indicts Mom In 'Little Jacob' Death

GALVESTON, TX -- The mother of a little boy whose nude body was found on a Galveston beach in October was indicted by a Galveston County grand jury on Tuesday. Rebecca Suzanne Rivera, 34, was arrested in June and charged with injury to a child by omission causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony offense, and tampering with physical evidence, a second-degree felony offense, in relation to the boy’s death.

The child, who for months was referred to as Little Jacob, was positively identified as Jayden Lopez less than a week before his mother was arrested. Investigators said Rivera and her girlfriend, 31-year-old Dania Gomez, dumped Jayden’s body in the Galveston bay hours after he died in Houston.

Prosecutors allege Rivera admitted to abusing her son in the days leading up to his death and repeatedly hitting him with several objects. Jayden Lopez, who was just 4-years-old when he died, weighed about 30 pounds and showed signs of neglect when his body was found.

Investigators said Jayden had been in the water at least 12 hours before he was discovered by beachgoers on Oct. 20, 2017.

Rivera has been in the Galveston County Jail since June on a bail of $250,000. If she is convicted, she could spend between five and 99 years in prison.

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Image: Galveston County Sheriff's Office

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