Texas girl stuffed in backpack dies in car, mom's boyfriend charged with murder

LUBBOCK, Texas (WGHP/KLBK/KAMC) -- A Lubbock man was charged with capital murder for the death of a child on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Trevor Rowe, 27, was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 8.

An arrest warrant said Rowe killed Marion Jester-Montoya, less than 1 year old, by “confining her in a backpack, inside a vehicle, for an extended period.”

The warrant said Rowe is not the father of the child but was dating her mother. The warrant said he took Marion to his job site at 130th and Upland Avenue and then left her in a backpack on the floorboard of a car.

At some point, he discovered that she got out of the backpack. He put her back in. By lunchtime, he checked on her and found she was “lightly crying but breathing.” He then went to a fast-food drive-through. He also went to two stores.

After lunch, the warrant said he placed the backpack into the trunk of the car with Marion inside. Just before 5 p.m., he checked on her, and she was not breathing. He called 911 and began CPR.

Rowe was held Wednesday on a $2 million bond.