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January 24, 202516th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhé announces that:Jose Valero, 33, previously pled guilty on October 14, 2024, to Second Degree Cruelty to Juveniles.The conviction comes from a February 23, 2022 incident where officers with the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of an unresponsive child. Valero, who was watching the juvenile, stated the child became unresponsive after slipping in the shower.Recognizing the severity of the situation, the responding officers had the child airlifted to a hospital equipped to handle this level of trauma. The pediatric neurosurgeon and other hospital staff had to perform emergency surgery to save the child’s life, but the extent of the injuries still left the child permanently physically and neurologically impaired. The staff at the hospital informed law enforcement that the injuries to the child were inconsistent with a four-year-old child slipping in the shower and that there was evidence of pervasive child abuse.The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office through investigation was able to discover corroborating evidence that further disproved Valero's claims that the injuries to the juvenile were caused by a slip in the shower but could have only been caused by Valero.A sentencing hearing was held on December 9, 2024, before the Honorable Keith Comeaux after which the defendant was sentenced to serve thirty years at hard labor. The sentencing range for Second Degree Cruelty to a Juvenile is up to forty years at hard labor.If you suspect child abuse or neglect, please contact the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services at their toll-free hotline, 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls are confidential—and you could save a child’s life.Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Songy prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, led by Detective Kirsten McBay, with assistance from the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory.
