'Brittle Bone Baby' Mom Pleads Guilty in His Brutal Death

SAN ANGELO – Nathaniel Quezada died of brutal blunt force trauma injuries.  The 21-month-old baby had extensive injuries: three vertebral fractures, spinal epidural hemorrhage, brain swelling, and extensive bruising in March of 2018.  His mother and stepfather were arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Child Under Ten Years of Age.  His stepfather at the time reached out to local media insisting Nathanial suffered from 'brittle bone disease.'  

Now, his mother has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced for inflicting those injuries.  

Lesley Renay (Moreno) Fernandez was in District Court in San Angelo Tuesday accepting guilt through a plea deal for the brutal death of her toddler in March 2018.   Fernandez, now 32, was originally charged with Capital Murder of a Person Under Ten Years of Age.  The indictment by a Tom Green County Grand Jury states, "Lesley Renay Moreno (Fernandez), Defendant, on or about the 9th day of March, 2018, and before the presentment of this indictment, in said County and State, did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual younger than 10 years of age, namely Nathaniel Quezada, by causing blunt trauma to the back of Nathaniel Quezada with an unknown object." 

As we reported at the time, Fernandez and her spouse, Andrew Andy Fernandez was the toddler's stepfather and had reached out to local media outlets after the child died.  

Fernandez said “the toddler had a type of bone ailment that caused his bones to break more easily and made bruising more frequent.”  The autopsy showed that was not the case.  

In court Tuesday, Lesley Fernandez pleaded guilty to two lesser charges: "I did then and there recklessly cause serious bodily injury to Nathaniel Quezada, a child 14 years of age or younger, by stretching the said Nathaniel Quezada against my knee or against an unknown object; or by causing blunt force trauma to the said Nathaniel Quezada by striking the back of the said Nathaniel Quezada with an unknown object or against an unknown object; a lesser included offense, namely Injury to a Child by Recklessly Causing Serious Bodily Injury..."  and "I did then and there recklessly cause serious bodily injury to Nathaniel Quezada, a child 14 years of age or younger, by omission, by failing to seek or provide reasonable and timely medical care for the said Nathaniel Quezada; a lesser included offense, namely Injury to a Child by Recklessly Causing Serious Bodily Injury by Omission..."

Lesley Fernandez was sentenced to four years in state prison in exchange for her guilty plea on the two lesser charges.  

She was given credit for 1770 days incarcerated in the Tom Green Co. Jail, which is 4.84 years.  

As we reported back in December, Andrew Fernandez was sentenced to 20 years in prison by taking a plea deal as well.