Prosecutors say 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez was repeatedly abused after a county foster placement with relatives.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A San Jose teen has been charged with murder in the death of 2-year-old Jaxon Juarez, whose case is now drawing criminal, county and state reviews of a foster placement approved weeks before he died.
Santa Clara County prosecutors say Jaxon, known to relatives and supporters as Baby Jaxon, was physically and sexually abused after he was placed in a relative’s home in February. The suspect, Jaxon’s cousin and foster brother, was 17 at the time of the alleged abuse and has since turned 18. His name has not been released by prosecutors because the case was filed in juvenile court.
The case began April 5, when San Jose police and emergency workers responded to a home on the 300 block of Otono Court and found Jaxon badly injured. Prosecutors said officers found the toddler’s “small, bruised, and battered body.” He was taken to a hospital and placed on life support. He died April 9. District Attorney Jeff Rosen said prosecutors added a murder charge April 20 after evidence showed repeated assaults. “My office will speak for him and all the lost children as we seek justice,” Rosen said.
The District Attorney’s Office said the teen faces murder and nine new felony charges, including child assault causing death and assault with a hair tie. Prosecutors said multiple sexual assault counts had already been filed. Authorities have not released a final autopsy, and the official cause of death has not been made public. The office said the investigation is continuing. Prosecutors are also seeking to move the case from juvenile court to adult court, where a conviction could carry a far longer prison sentence than a juvenile finding.
Jaxon was in the care of a relative, identified in local reports as Bridget Michelle Martinez, the mother of the teen suspect. The placement has become a focus for investigators because records cited in local reports show Martinez had a 2014 felony child endangerment conviction tied to a drunken-driving case involving a child. KTVU reported that police said she was not cooperative during early interviews, and she was arrested and later released pending further investigation. County officials have not publicly explained in detail how Jaxon was approved for placement in the home.
Family members said Jaxon’s life had already been marked by instability before the February placement. Relatives said his mother died after health problems, and his father could not care for him. Riley Wallace, Jaxon’s maternal aunt, said relatives in Arizona sought custody but were denied because they lived too far away. She said the family raised concerns about the placement before Jaxon died. Evangeline Dominguez-Estrada, a friend of Jaxon’s mother, said Jaxon “did not deserve this” and “deserved to be protected.”
The death has widened scrutiny of the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children’s Services. County Executive James Williams said 10 county employees were placed on leave pending personnel investigations. State officials are also expanding oversight of the county’s child welfare work. The California Department of Social Services had already placed the county under a corrective action plan after earlier child deaths in the system. Jaxon is the third high-profile child death tied to county child welfare placements in three years, following the deaths of Baby Phoenix Castro and Jordan Walker in 2023.
County spokesperson Peter Gallotta said the county is investigating Jaxon’s death and working with the state. “There is nothing more important to the County of Santa Clara than keeping children safe,” Gallotta said in a statement. He said the county is committed to understanding what happened and making changes to better protect vulnerable children. Silicon Valley NAACP President Sean Allen said his group has filed a civil rights complaint against the county, accusing officials of repeated failures in cases involving children under county care.
The next major court date is May 21, when the case is expected to continue as prosecutors seek transfer to adult court. County and state reviews remain active, and officials have not said whether any other person will face charges.
Author note: Last updated April 27, 2026.