A Pharr man will spend the next 30 years in prison for the death of his baby boy.

A jury found Miguel Ortiz Jr. guilty on June 9. They told the judge to give him 30 years. The judge made it official on Wednesday, June 18.

The charge was injury to a child by omission. That means Ortiz failed to get help for his baby when the child needed it most.

Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio "Terry" Palacios announced the sentence.

The baby was just two months old.

It started as a wellness check in June 2024. Someone called Pharr police and said Ortiz had told them his infant son died three days before. Officers went to a home on the 200 block of East Sam Houston Boulevard in Pharr.

When police got there, the baby's mother walked out the front door. Karina Ramirez was carrying the infant wrapped in blankets.

The baby was dead.

An autopsy found bruising on the baby's skull, chest, and buttocks. The body also showed signs of decomposition. That told investigators the baby had been dead for days.

Police found something else. Both Ortiz and Ramirez had an open Child Protective Services case at the time. CPS was already involved with this family before the baby died.

Officers arrested both parents. Both were charged with capital murder of a child under 10. That charge can mean life in prison. They also faced charges for tampering with evidence and injury to a child.

The case went to trial. Ortiz was convicted of injury to a child by omission. The jury gave him 30 years. The judge signed off on that sentence Wednesday.

What does injury to a child by omission mean? In Texas, a parent has a legal duty to protect their child. If a parent knows a child is hurt or in danger and does nothing, that is a crime. Ortiz did not call for help. He waited. The baby died.

The baby's mother, Ramirez, had her own court hearing on Monday. Her case is not over. The DA's office said it is still moving through the courts.

Pharr sits in Hidalgo County, in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. It is a city of about 80,000 people. Families here are close-knit. Stories like this one hit hard.

When a child dies while a CPS case is already open, it raises painful questions. CPS is supposed to step in when children are at risk. This family was already on their radar. The baby still died.

Under Texas law, Ortiz could be eligible for parole after serving at least half of his 30-year sentence. That is not guaranteed. A parole board will decide when the time comes.

He will serve his time in a Texas state prison.

The baby never had a chance. He was two months old when he died. His father knew and waited three days before anyone was told.

The community is watching to see what happens next with the Ramirez case.