HOUSTON — The man who investigators said admitted to strangling the mother of his 2-year-old son remained behind bars Wednesday, four days after he told investigators he killed her and left her body in a vehicle at a sporting goods store in northwest Houston.
KHOU 11 reporter Anayeli Ruiz spoke to the family of 27-year-old Coral Niño, whose son will now grow up without his mother.
Humberto Niño, Coral's brother, said the family is struggling to tell the little boy that his mother is gone.
"Devoted mother, amazing sister," he said. "I honestly couldn't believe what I was hearing."
Coral's life was cut short last weekend. According to investigators, Ivan Bautista Cazarez, 27, walked into a police station on the northwest side on Saturday, Aug. 10, and admitted to officers that he had killed the mother of his child, drove her to the Academy off US-290 at 34th Street and left her body in the vehicle.
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"He told the sergeant he had murdered his girlfriend," a prosecutor said in a recent court appearance.
According to investigators, the incident happened after they went to a bar on Friday night and were talking outside Coral's home. Cazarez allegedly became jealous of Coral's relationship with another person.
Family members said they had seen signs of jealousy in the past.
"He showed a lot of signs of jealousy. She started making her life without him. He couldn't stand to see that," Humberto said.
Authorities said Cazarez had a bus ticket to Mexico when he turned himself in and confessed to the crime.
While family members knew Cazarez was trouble, they never imagined he would kill Coral, leaving a 2-year-old boy without his mother.
"I just want justice for my sister," Humberto said. "He can't be released after what he did."
The family set up a GoFundMe account to help them cover funeral expenses. Click here to donate.
Cazares is being held in the Harris County Jail on a $150,000 bond. He's charged with murder.