Tucson Police Report: Infant’s Tragic Death Linked to Severe Head Trauma

A Tucson infant tragically died on Mother’s Day, revealing severe and chronic head trauma, according to newly released police reports.

Salma Rodriguez, the mother of 9-month-old Jose Valuenzuela, and her boyfriend, Ivan Herrera, face first-degree murder charges, as per Pima County Superior Court records.

Police responded to a call at Herrera’s apartment on May 11 about an unresponsive infant who had reportedly fallen off the couch, according to a Tucson Police Department investigative report.

Jose was rushed to the hospital, but medical efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. Doctors discovered extensive and chronic bruising to Jose’s brain, a skull fracture, and a healing rib fracture. These injuries indicated ongoing abuse.

Placed on life support, later brain scans showed no activity.

Three days later, doctors confirmed brain death, and Jose was removed from life support and pronounced dead.

Police interviews revealed disparate accounts. Both Herrera and Rodriguez initially claimed Jose had fallen off the couch. However, Herrera later altered his story, asserting that Jose was immediately unresponsive post-fall.

Rodriguez’s mother provided insights into household dynamics, labeling Herrera as controlling and abusive, both physically and verbally, towards Rodriguez. She wasn’t sure if he extended the abuse to the children.

A week before the incident, Rodriguez sought financial help from her mother due to a shut-off electric bill. Consequently, three of her children stayed with relatives while Jose remained with her.

Rodriguez’s mother-in-law, the paternal grandmother of Jose, suspected abuse from Herrera toward Rodriguez. She substantiated her claim by recounting an instance where she saw Rodriguez with a black eye and mentioned that another granddaughter reported abuse from Herrera.

A neighbor corroborated these concerns, telling police she heard Rodriguez and Herrera arguing intensely. She reported hearing Rodriguez demanding her baby back and the sound of a distressed baby crying.

On May 12, Herrera and Rodriguez were arrested on felony child abuse charges and, ten days later, indicted on first-degree murder charges.

Both remain in Pima County jail, with Rodriguez held on a $25,000 bond and Herrera on a $30,000 bond.

The Department of Child Safety has removed Rodriguez’s three other children from her custody. DCS records disclosed a previous 2011 allegation of abuse by Rodriguez towards one of Jose’s siblings, though it was unsubstantiated.

Contact reporter Caitlin Schmidt at cschmidt@tucson.com or call 573-4191. Twitter: @caitlinschmidt