Trial begins for Wichita woman charged in 2-year-old son’s death

By KAKE Staff

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — Trial began this week for a Wichita woman who is charged with killing her 2-year-old son nearly six years ago.

According to the Sedgwick County district attorney’s office, jury selection in Stephanie Aviles’ trial began Monday, and opening statements should take place on Tuesday. She’s charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jacob Aviles on September 29, 2019. Her then-boyfriend, Bernardo Gonzalez-Mejia, faces the same charge and is scheduled for a jury trial on December 8.

The day Jacob died, officers responded to assist EMS on the report of a toddler not breathing at a home near Kellogg and Seneca. Jacob was pronounced dead about 30 minutes after they arrived. A court document said he had visible bruising to his head, back, buttocks, stomach, arms and legs.

An autopsy revealed that Jacob suffered multiple contusions of the head, trunk and extremities, had blood in his abdominal cavity, multiple lacerations of the tissue that attaches organs to the body wall, and a healing rib fracture.

Two other children were taken into protective custody after Aviles and Gonzalez-Mejia were arrested.

Aviles posted $300,000 bond in November 2021, and Gonzalez-Mejia posted $450,000 bond in January 2022. Each faces additional charges of child abuse and aggravated child endangerment for an incident that occurred in June of 2019, records show.

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