A 19-year-old Garner man has been charged with murder after his stepson died in a bathtub, court records state.
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Angel Israel Deras Rivas was arrested by Garner police on Sunday and charged with negligent felony child abuse-serious bodily injury and felony murder, according to an arrest warrant.
He is accused of leaving a 14-month old child unattended in a bathtub “full of water” while caring for the child, the warrant states.
The murder charge alleges Deras Rivas “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder” the child, identified in the warrant only as “M. DO.”
The warrant says Deras Rivas is the husband of the toddler’s mother. Wake County records indicate the couple married in April.
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The child’s mother obtained permanent sole custody of the toddler last month after a judge found the toddler’s biological father tried to kidnap her while she was pregnant and never visited the child after his birth, court documents show.
A permanent custody ruling signed last month indicates Deras Rivas watched the toddler while his wife worked at a bakery on Sundays.
He is being held in the Wake County Detention Center and made his first court appearance Monday, where Judge Rashad Hauter appointed the Capital Defender Office to represent him. Deras Rivas’ murder charge carries a maximum punishment of the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors asked that Deras Rivas remain held without bail, citing the facts of the case and a federal immigration detainer. Hauter left the no-bail order in place.
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Deras Rivas’ next court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 24.
Janelle Mella contributed to this report.
This story was originally published August 3, 2026 at 8:14 AM.