Newborn Discovered at Kingsville Wal-Mart

Kingsville Police Department

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS (News Release) – On the evening of Monday, July 14, 2025, at approximately 10:22 p.m., Kingsville Police Department officers were dispatched to the Wal-Mart located on East General Cavasos Blvd following a 9-1-1 call from a store employee who reported the discovery of a newborn infant in a restroom trash receptacle.

Upon arrival, officers observed employees attempting lifesaving efforts on the infant.

Officers transported the newborn to Christus Spohn Hospital–Kleberg, where medical personnel later pronounced the child deceased. Preliminary investigation, including review of store surveillance footage, revealed that a female entered the store and spent approximately 40 minutes in the restroom before exiting and leaving in a vehicle.

Approximately 30 minutes after her departure, the newborn was discovered. At 10:53 p.m., a Kleberg County Sheriff’s Deputy located and stopped the vehicle in the Wal-Mart parking lot. A 17-year-old female was identified and transported by EMS to the hospital for medical care.

45-year-old Jerry Lee Martinez

Her father, Jerry Lee Martinez, 45, of Mathis, Texas, was taken into custody and booked into the Kleberg County Jail. He has been charged with Abandoning/Endangering a Child – Criminal Negligence. The 17-year-old remains hospitalized. She will be interviewed upon her release. This case remains an active and ongoing investigation by the Kingsville Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.