PD: Mother Arrested in Death of 2-Year-old Frankie Gonzales

WACO, TX – The Waco Police Department has confirmed that the mother of 2-year-old Frankie Gonzales has been charged in connection to his death. Frankie’s body was found in a trash can near Park Lake Baptist Church Tuesday morning.

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, 35-year-old Laura Sanchez lied to police when she reported her son missing on Monday afternoon. Her report led to an hours-long search of Cameron Park and issue an AMBER Alert for Frankie.

Sanchez had told police on Monday that Frankie had been with her adult son in Killeen over the weekend. She told police Frankie had disappeared from a restroom in Cameron Park on Monday, June 1st after she looked away for a moment.

According to Waco PD, Sanchez confessed to family members and they contacted police. Sanchez told officers that Frankie had died while in her care around Thursday, May 28 and she kept Frankie’s body in her house until Saturday when she disposed of it in the trash bin. 

Sanchez then led police to the trash bin where Frankie’s body was found in several trash bags. The cause of death was not released, but authorities did confirm Frankie did not die of natural causes.

Sanchez has a criminal history in McLennan County. In 2012 she was arrested for burglary of a habitation and placed on deferred probation for six years. in 2015 her deferred probation was revoked, and she was sentenced to six years in prison. It is unclear how much of the sentence she served.

Sanchez was charged with first-degree felony injury to a child with intent, but in a press conference, Waco PD stated further charges could be pending in the coming days. Sanchez was taken to the McLennan County Jail late Tuesday morning.