A man charged with murder after his son was left in a hot car for hours in Paso Robles earlier this year appeared in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Wednesday for his preliminary hearing.
Briant Reyes Estrada is accused of causing the death of his 6-year-old son, David, on Saturday, May 10.
In court, Thomas McNutt with the Paso Robles Police Department testified that Reyes Estrada claimed to have checked the car twice that day, left the windows halfway down, and left food out for his son. But surveillance footage obtained by police showed that Reyes Estrada entered the parking lot of the Paso Robles Inn, his place of work, around 6:40 a.m., then returned to the car around 10 a.m. for less than one minute to change from a long-sleeved shirt to a short-sleeved one. He did not return to the vehicle until 3 p.m.
According to testimony, when Reyes Estrada returned to the vehicle, David was unresponsive. He took his son to Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, where Detective Brenden Neary said that David’s medical records show he had a temperature of 110.1 degrees.
Forensic pathologist Evan Matshes testified that David’s autopsy confirmed his death was caused by prolonged exposure to extreme heat. He also found several unexplained bruises on the boy’s face and back at the time of his death.
Elizabeth Place with the Paso Robles Police Department shared that there had been a history of suspected child abuse against Reyes Estrada, and she had reviewed several videos that showed visible injuries on David, such as facial bruising, lacerations, and swollen body parts.
Commander Steve Boyett testified that the Paso Robles Police Department conducted a heat experiment to mimic the exact conditions of the vehicle that David was inside the day he died, when the high temperature reached 99 degrees. He said the test vehicle reached 148 degrees.
Reyes Estrada’s defense presented photos of water bottles in the car and an empty lunch box. Police reportedly found seven empty water bottles in the car when they searched it after David’s death.
The defense also showed video of Reyes Estrada rushing his son into the hospital.
At the end of the day on Wednesday, the judge ruled that the case can move forward to trial.
Reyes Estrada is due in court again for arraignment on September 29.
