Haltom City toddler's death officially ruled a homicide

The death of a 2-year-old toddler from Haltom City has been declared a homicide, meaning the charges against his grandmother could be upgraded.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner ruled Lyfe 'Gabe' Flores’ death a homicide after he was scalded by hot water and not taken to the hospital until six days later. His paternal grandmother, Patricia Flores, is currently charged with injury to a child.

"The doctor said had he come in the minute he was burned he would have had a 90 percent chance he would have survived,” explained Jessica Rhodes, Gabe’s aunt.

The medical examiner also found the toddler had teeth that had been knocked out and internal bleeding.

“Seeing him suffer in that hospital bed was hard. Burying my nephew was hard. Knowing he died as a result of a homicide is hard,” said Rhodes. “But seeing it written on paper is one of the hardest things.”

Patricia Flores has been charged with injury to a child and facing more charges over the homicide ruling.

The family never suspected the happy little boy was in danger.

"I hope she has feelings about it. I hope it haunts her in her dreams,” said Rhodes. “Don't know what goes through people's minds that are like that. She's a monster."

Rhodes' daughter and her nephew were born exactly two weeks apart.

"Every night when I rock her to sleep, I wish I could rock him to sleep,” said Rhodes. “I wish he'd been in a loving home. We thought he was."

A Tarrant County Grand Jury is expected to consider additional charges against Flores.