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Mother charged in shooting death of toddler

Originally the mother had told police that her daughter shot herself with gun found in boyfriend's duffel bag.

SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio woman has been arrested months after her two-year-old daughter was shot and killed.

Jessica Cantu is charged with endangering a child, according to an arrest report.

Police say Cantu reported that her child, Juelz Gonzalez, had shot herself back in February at a home in the 100 block of Dublin Street on the south side.

The toddler died at University Hospital a few days later.

During the investigation, it was reported that the child had shot herself with a gun belonging to her mother's boyfriend, Joshua Christopher Ramirez. Police say he fled the scene before officers arrived. When police later searched his residence, they found a duffel bag with the illegal gun. Ramirez was then federally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, following his prior conviction.

But now the Bexar County Medical Examiner says the child could not have shot herself. The gun was fired from a distance and not in close proximity and the child’s death was ruled a homicide.

Cantu’s cellphone contents revealed messages about purchasing the same type of weapon found at the crime scene, according to arrest paperwork. Police say she arranged a meetup location and a price for the weapon. There are also messages that reveal she knew Ramirez carried a gun, according to the affidavit.
Officials have determined that Cantu intentionally and knowingly placed her child in imminent danger by allowing her to be in the presence of a handgun in possession of a felon with a violent criminal history.

Cantu is being held on $150,000 bond.

RELATED: Man arrested on gun charges after 2-year-old San Antonio girl dies from accidental shooting

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