BELTON — The parents of the 3-year-old girl who was affectionately known as “Moochie” both have been mourning their loss for years; but only the mother was facing up to 20 years in prison on a manslaughter charge because the child was unsecured when a crash occurred in 2023.

Coppeas Cove resident Selena Martinez, 29, was indicted on Aug. 28, 2024, on the second-degree felony charge. She pleaded guilty on April 9. On Wednesday afternoon in the 478th Judicial District Court, Judge Wade Faulkner heard testimony from both parents before deciding not to find Martinez guilty. Instead, Faulkner placed her on a term of 10 years of deferred adjudication probation. ×

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