'The system failed me:' Brownsville mother reacts after daycare worker convicted in son's death receives probation
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The family of a 4-year-old Brownsville boy broke down in tears on Thursday after a judge ruled that a woman convicted in his death would be released on probation.
“I'm feeling enraged. I'm feeling that the system failed me,” Monique Garcia said.
Garcia is the mother of Logan Urbina, the boy who died on June 27, 2025 after police said he was left alone in a hot van for several hours.
Karen Silva was previously convicted of causing Logan’s death and was sentenced last month to five years in prison.
On Thursday, 445th District Court Judge Gloria Rincones granted 10 years of shock probation after Silva requested it due to pregnancy issues.
READ MORE: Probation granted for Brownsville woman convicted in hot car death of 4-year-old boy
“Five years and then nothing. So what was the point of the last hearing?" Garcia said, adding that the probation is making her grieve for her son all over again.
As previously reported, Silva was identified as the employee at the Learning Club Preschool who drove the van Logan was left in. Students at the daycare were on a field trip, and Logan was left behind in the van for nearly five hours following the field trip.
Rincones told the courtroom no amount of time could bring Logan back, and said others also shared responsibility in his death.
Sendy Ruiz, a woman who was identified as the daycare employee in charge of the children in the van, was also arrested in connection with the incident. She pleaded not guilty in connection with the death and is due back in court on Jan. 22, 2026.
Silva, who was previously in federal custody on an ICE detainer after authorities said she overstayed on a visa, will soon be deported to Mexico.
Logan's mom said his death wasn't just a mistake. She said it was a failure that can't be undone.
“I hope that she takes Logan into her mind forever, she failed,” Garcia said. “She did not just fail me, she failed everyone."
Silva is eight months pregnant, and a nurse and midwife testified that Silva has a high-risk pregnancy and could face delayed care in jail.
“The baby should not be punished,” Silva’s attorney, Ed Stapleton, said.
Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said Silva will get to walk free once she's deported.
“She's going to be walking free, if not today, tomorrow, and going home to her family,” Saenz said. “What punishment is that? I disagree with the judge's decision. I second [Garcia’s] opinion. You need to elect the right judges to make the right decisions."
This will be the family's first Christmas without Logan. Even in her grief, Logan's mom said she'll always remember the happiness he brought to everyone around him, because a mother never forgets.
“He was happiness, he was a little happy baby boy,” Garcia said.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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