The Brownwood Police Department issued the following press release Friday morning:

On Monday, December 30, 2024, Detectives with the Brownwood Police Department conducted a child abuse investigation which resulted in the arrest of 22-year-old Steven Wayne Peacock Jr. of Brownwood for Injury to a Child.

At the time of this investigation the 10-month-old female victim was flown to Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth for greater treatment. Unfortunately, the intensive care provided by Cook was unsuccessful and at approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 6, 2025, the baby died of her injuries.

Since the child’s passing, Detectives along with the DPS Office of the Texas Rangers have been working diligently to finalize the investigation. The investigation was presented to the March session of the Brown County Grand Jury and indictments were returned.

Peacock was formally indicted on charges of Aggravated Assault – Serious Bodily Injury to a Family Member as well as Capital Murder, bond denied.

Additionally, the mother of the child, 24-year-old Angel Mari Bernal of Brownwood, was indicted on a charge of Injury to a Child as well as a charge of Abandoning or Endangering a Child. Her bond was set at $175,000.

Both remain in custody with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.