Brandon Cervera was arrested by San Antonio police on Thursday in connection to the death of his son Benjamin.
The 28-year-old dad was arrested after police obtained cell phone footage of the young boy begging for water and food, according to an affidavit.
The arrest affidavit, obtained by KSAT, also noted that the boy — who died of starvation in the summer of 2021 — was forced to drink sanitizer.
San Antonio police got a hold of the shocking footage from a family member’s phone before arresting him on a charge of injury to a child, KSAT reports.
The four-year-old boy was unresponsive with bruises on his body when he was taken to the hospital on August 17, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also notes that authorities found cabinets and the refrigerator of the boy’s Texas home to be locked.
The affidavit also reveals that Benjamin had been found sleeping in a locked room with a frameless mattress, covered in urine stains.
The woman who identifies herself as the deceased boy’s mom, Lala Flores, recently took to Facebook to say “justice will be served.”
She wrote: “Justice will be served mi angelito & even though when justice does come at least we’ll all know.
“I’ll never understand why this happened in the hands of your so-called loved ones.
“You’ll always be in my heart and run crazy in my mind. Mommy will always love you and your big brother.”
According to Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, Benjamin’s cause of death was due to starvation.
There is also another suspect in the case who has not yet been apprehended.
This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been reproduced here with permission.