Inset: Marlene Vidal (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office). Background: A burned out car allegedly belonging to Vidal in a parking lot in San Antonio, Tex. (WOAI).
A Texas woman has been taken into custody after two young children, believed to be aged 5 and 7, were discovered deceased in a charred vehicle.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has charged 34-year-old Marlene Vidal with two counts of capital murder concerning victims under the age of 10, along with a charge of arson.
This tragic event unfolded in the early morning hours within a warehouse parking lot on Richland Hills Drive, located in San Antonio.
Shortly after 5 a.m. on Friday, a passerby walking their dog alerted 911 to a car engulfed in flames. Prior to the call, the witness had encountered a woman at the scene who claimed she had already contacted the authorities, the San Antonio Police Department revealed during a press conference.
Upon arrival, officers and firefighters extinguished the blaze consuming the white Hyundai. Inside, investigators found the bodies of the young victims, whose identities are still being confirmed.
Authorities quickly identified and apprehended Vidal, a resident of Edinburg, a sizable city in the Rio Grande Valley approximately 230 miles south of San Antonio. According to police, she has “family connections” in the San Antonio area.
“At this stage of the investigation, we have statements made by the suspect, along with surveillance video and evidence from the scene that indicate she was solely responsible for the death of these two children,” Assistant San Antonio Police Chief Jesus Salame Jr. said.
The defendant, however, was not immediately booked into the Bexar County Jail after her arrest, Law&Crime has learned. Vidal was finally booked and processed by jail officials late Friday evening.
“She just indicated that she was the one that we would be looking for,” Salame added, describing comments Vidal allegedly made to police.
Law enforcement further described the 7-year-old victim as a girl and the 5-year-old victim as a boy who is said to be both autistic and nonverbal, according to San Antonio-based NBC affiliate WOAI.
The TV station spoke with the children’s father who no longer lives with Vidal. He said he was devastated by the news of their deaths and confirmed the little boy had an autism diagnosis.
A motive for the slayings is, as of yet, elusive. Law enforcement have said mental health issues “may have played a role.”
“So what I’ll commit to you now is that we’re going to continue working to find the truth, seek justice for these children, and support everyone affected by this tragedy,” Salame said. “Everyone’s going to want to know why something like this happened, and unfortunately, the why is sometimes the hardest question to answer.”
The investigation is ongoing as police speak with family members “and others connected to the case,” police said.
The defendant was arraigned on Friday night and appeared before a judge. When her murder charges were read out, Vidal audibly broke into tears and asked when her trial would start, WOAI reported.
