Haltom City man not guilty by reason of insanity in killing of his 7-year-old brother
A 21-year-old Haltom City man was found not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday morning in the August 2020 stabbing death of his 7-year-old brother.
With that decision, Isidro Brito Bruno will be sent to a state mental hospital for further evaluation.
Brito Bruno repeatedly stabbed his 7-year-old brother, Jacob Brito, in the living room of the family’s Haltom City home, police have said.
The decision in the court case “was absolutely the right result,” said Wes Ball of Arlington, Brito Bruno’s attorney, in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday afternoon. “Legitimate insanity defenses are extremely rare. He will now get the continuing medical care he needs.”
Tarrant County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Ty Stimpson, who handled the case, agreed.
“My heart breaks for the Brito family, who suffered the loss of their son Jacob Brito at the hands of their other son, Isidro Brito,” Stimpson said in a Wednesday email. “At the time of the tragic event Isidro was suffering from a mental health crisis. In situations such as these, current Texas law is clear that a not guilty by reason of insanity plea is the proper outcome.“
Stimpson said the outcome was what the family had requested.
“We hope the Brito family is able to find peace in the midst of this tragic event,” the prosecutor said. “Our goal remains to keep our community safe, while also upholding the laws of our state.”
Ball said doctors and prosecutors agreed that Burno was legally insane.
“The family (both of the victim and defendant) were present in court today and at the end, they literally lined up and hugged him,” Ball said.
Just days after his brother’s death, Brito Bruno was charged with capital murder because of the age of the victim.
An arrest warrant gave this account of the stabbing on the night of Aug. 1, 2020:
Jacob Brito was in his family’s living room with Isidro Brito Bruno at their Haltom City home.
Other family members were in their bedrooms when Jacob Brito began screaming.
His sister ran to the living room, where she found her father, mother and another brother trying to stop Jacob Brito’s bleeding from multiple stab wounds in his chest and back, according to the warrant.
The sister then saw Isidro Brito Bruno holding a knife, with blood on his wrist, not saying anything.
Isidro Brito Bruno had a “blank stare,” the sister told Haltom City detectives, according to the capital murder warrant..
The arrest warrant provided no information on a motive for the attack.
But Haltom City police said that police had been to the Brito home at least three times since May 2019 for mental health issues with Isidro Brito Bruno.
After the stabbing, Brito Bruno fled the house, but he was taken into custody about two blocks from his home, according to the warrant.
Brito Bruno was found to have self-inflicted cut and stab wounds to his arms and stomach, Haltom City police said.
“Jacob was a joyful person, very caring. He loved to put other people in front of him,” said Jesus Ochoa, Jacob’s uncle, in an interview with the Star-Telegram just after the stabbing. “He was very giving to anybody.”
This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 2:42 PM.
