Fernando Vega, 23, from the Houston area, pleaded guilty to injury to a child causing serious bodily injury in the deaths of his one-month-old twin daughters, Massail and Mirena Vega, and received a 40-year prison sentence in January 2026. The infants were found unresponsive on October 4, 2023, after Vega cared for them overnight, describing them as fussy; autopsies revealed severe malnourishment, dehydration, multiple blunt force injuries, fractures in various healing stages from three incidents, and ruled the deaths homicides.​
Case Background
Vega discovered the twins around 11 a.m., called his girlfriend Angelina Calderon—who then dialed 911—and claimed no visible trauma initially, but medical exams showed bruises, contusions, rib fractures, femur breaks, and head injuries indicating intentional abuse without medical intervention despite their premature birth. Calderon, who last saw them after midnight and left for work around 10:30 a.m. (with the grandmother briefly watching), faces identical charges with a March 5 hearing. Vega’s charges had escalated to capital murder before the plea deal in the 351st District Court.​
Investigation Outcome
Authorities emphasized the parents’ failure to seek care for the sickly infants, leading to arrests in April 2024 after thorough review; Vega received credit for over 600 days served but no restitution or deadly weapon finding. Houston police called the scene “tragic and heartbreaking,” devastating the family.​
