GALVESTON, Texas - The mother of Jayden Alexander Lopez, the little boy found dead on a Galveston beach last year, has been indicted in relation to his death.
A Galveston County grand jury Tuesday indicted Rebecca Suzanne Rivera on a first-degree felony of injury to a child by omission causing serious bodily injury and a second-degree offense of tampering with physical evidence.
Rivera, 34, and her girlfriend, Dania Sarai Amezquita Gomez, 31, were charged with tampering with/fabricating physical evidence in June. Jayden was nicknamed "Little Jacob" after his body was found in the 700 block of Seawall Blvd. on Oct. 20. He was in the water, near the shoreline and was found unclothed.
When police first found Jayden's body, no family or friends claimed nor identified the child. Police checked nationwide databases for missing children, but found no results.
Police then made a plea to the public and released a sketch of Jayden. Despite hundreds of phone calls and tips, no progress was made.
In January, Galveston Police investigators released a crime scene photo of the young child found dead on the beach in October.
Investigators said no one had reported Jayden missing, and that they had to become his advocate. They credited the identification and arrests to a tip after the release of the crime scene photo. Someone who knew Jayden provided the names of his mother and her girlfriend.
If convicted, Rivera faces 5 to 99 years or life in prison on the injury to a child charge and 2 to 20 years for tampering with evidence.