Texas Man Accused of Fatally Beating Infant After Giving Police Fake Name; Prior Child Death Case Re-Emerges

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — A 31-year-old man is facing severe charges after a 9-month-old girl was found unresponsive and “cold and stiff” in her crib — and investigators discovered he had given police a fake name to hide an outstanding warrant tied to another toddler’s death. Authorities say Rick P. Artis is now at the center of two child-death investigations spanning several years.

Infant Found Unresponsive as Man Gave Police False Identity

San Antonio Police responded to an apartment on Ingram Road on Jan. 25 after a 911 call reported a baby who was not breathing. First responders pronounced the child dead at the scene.

Artis initially identified himself as “Eric Artis” and claimed he had gotten up to make the baby a bottle when he discovered she wasn’t breathing. He told detectives the child seemed normal the night before.

The baby’s mother said she left her children in Artis’ care the previous evening and returned just before midnight, later finding the victim smiling and standing in her crib before going to sleep. She and Artis went to bed around 3 a.m. and were awakened hours later by Artis’ frantic reaction.

Autopsy Reveals Infant’s Fatal Skull Fracture

While officers found no immediate signs of trauma, a medical examiner’s autopsy two days later revealed the infant had suffered a skull fracture caused by blunt force trauma, ruling the death a homicide.

Investigators called the mother and Artis back in for further questioning — and by then, detectives had learned Artis’ real identity and the reason he lied.

2018 Case: Another Toddler’s Death Tied to Suspect

Police uncovered that Artis was wanted for a separate child-injury case dating back to October 2018, involving a 17-month-old who also suffered a fractured skull. That child died in 2020.

The earlier case was initially dismissed after a key witness went missing, but has since been reopened. Artis faces an additional charge for injury to a child in that case.

When confronted about the false name and outstanding warrant, Artis stopped answering questions and requested an attorney.

Messages to Paralegal and Friend Before Alerting Mother

Detectives later found Artis exchanged calls and text messages with a paralegal roughly 30 minutes before he claimed to have found the infant unresponsive. He also messaged a friend about the child’s death before notifying the mother or calling 911, police said.

Artis is being held in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on a $1 million bond.

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