23-year-old father, who snapped because his 1-month-old twins wouldn’t stop crying so he violently shook and beat them to death, was sentenced

Texas – In a horrifying case that has shaken residents in Texas, a 23-year-old father, identified as F. Vega, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to the violent deaths of his 1-month-old twins, who were found malnourished, dehydrated, and covered in injuries.

Vega admitted to injury to a child with serious bodily injury following the October 2023 deaths of his son and daughter, who were both born prematurely. Prosecutors say Vega snapped during the night as the babies wouldn’t stop crying throughout the night, and in a violent outburst, he shook and beat them so severely that they later died from their injuries. Vega’s girlfriend and the twins’ 23-year-old mother, identified as A. Calderon, is facing the same charge. She is scheduled to appear in court on March 5.

According to the arrest affidavit, Vega was alone with the infants during the night of October 3 to October 4, while Calderon went to bed shortly after midnight. Vega told officers the babies were especially difficult that night, describing them as “fussy.” He claimed he finally put them down to sleep around 6 a.m.

Calderon later said she saw the twins sleeping when she woke up at 8 a.m., and Vega dropped her off at work by 10:30 a.m., leaving the babies in the care of their grandmother. But by 11 a.m., Vega realized something was terribly wrong. “They are not waking up,” Vega told Calderon over the phone. “They’re not doing nothing.” Calderon then called 911. Emergency responders arrived, and while there were initially no visible signs of trauma, autopsy results would reveal the truth—a disturbing pattern of violence and neglect.

Doctors later determined both infants had died from multiple blunt force injuries, and both were extremely malnourished and dehydrated. The babies had not been taken to any medical checkups since birth, despite being born prematurely, according to detectives. The autopsies uncovered a range of old and new injuries, suggesting the twins had suffered trauma on three separate occasions. One twin had fractures to the femur, multiple ribs, and bruises across the head, torso, feet, and arms. The other suffered from clavicle, head, and rib fractures, along with additional bruises.

The injuries were at various stages of healing, which led detectives to conclude the abuse had occurred over time, not just in a single incident. Investigators said that both Vega and Calderon failed to seek medical care, even as the babies suffered. The medical examiner ruled the deaths as homicides. Police Assistant Chief P. Cantu called the case “very, very tragic” and said the scene left first responders heartbroken. “Obviously the family is devastated,” she said in a statement to reporters.

Vega’s 40-year sentence follows his guilty plea and ends one part of a case that exposed prolonged abuse, neglect, and preventable tragedy. Meanwhile, Calderon still faces prosecution, with officials alleging that both parents contributed to the children’s suffering and eventual deaths. The deaths of the twins have led to renewed public calls for greater oversight of at-risk infants and more aggressive intervention in households where signs of neglect or abuse may go unnoticed. Two infants—born into vulnerability—were denied even the most basic care. And when their cries became too much, the man meant to protect them responded with deadly violence.