SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man arrested and jailed over the weekend on a child abandonment charge was released from custody on Sunday, Bexar County jail records indicate.
According to an affidavit written by a San Antonio Police Department detective, Richard Viera, 35, lived at a home with his 3-month-old child and the child’s mother.
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The child’s mother went to work at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, leaving the child home with Viera, court documents show. Text messages shared with SAPD show that the mother and Viera were in communication throughout the day.
Just before 6:30 p.m., the mother asked Viera how the child was doing. Viera texted the woman that the child was “good” and “asleep,” the affidavit states.
At 10:19 p.m., the mother texted Viera that she was finishing up at work and planned to grab a drink before coming home. According to the detective, Viera acknowledged the woman’s text 15 minutes later.
At 11:30 p.m., Viera asked the mother about her whereabouts by sending her a single question mark. Approximately 41 minutes later — at 12:11 a.m. on Feb. 29 — the child’s mother texted Viera that she was on her way home, according to the affidavit.
Texts shared with SAPD showed Viera messaged the child’s mother, “What happened?” five minutes before 1 a.m. Police said the woman arrived home at approximately 1:27 a.m. to her 3-month-old’s cries and no sign of Viera, his car or any of his belongings.
The woman texted Viera asking where he went and that he had better answer or she was going to be “pissed off,” according to the detective.
In a response, Viera texted the woman that she had already “pissed” him off and asked what had happened to her that night, the affidavit states.
The child’s mother continued to text and also began calling Viera, reminding him that their child was in his care while she was away and he decided to leave the home. However, Viera did not respond to any of her texts or calls, the affidavit states.
It is unclear how long Viera left the 3-month-old alone.
According to jail records, Viera was taken into custody on Saturday and booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on an abandoning a child with no intent to return charge.
Viera posted bond and was released from jail just after 1:30 p.m. Sunday, records indicate.
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