BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A San Antonio great-grandmother is demanding answers from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office after the man accused in the death of her 18-month-old great-grandson in 2020 was arrested again this year in connection with the death of another infant.
Rick Artis, who faces multiple charges including murder, is now in custody with bonds totaling more than $1 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 2026.
“We wouldn’t be sitting here if the DA office would have did what they were supposed to do,” said Donna Givens, whose great-grandson Lyriq Ogilvie Artis died in 2020.
Timeline of allegations
The cases against Artis spans several years:
- Oct. 5, 2018: Artis was arrested and charged with injury to a child for allegedly striking his infant son, Lyriq Ogilvie Artis.
- Feb. 22, 2020: Lyriq is found unresponsive and the 18-month-old died with what was ruled as blunt force trauma to the head.
- Feb. 24, 2020: Artis is indicted for the 2018 incident.
- July 2023: Artis was set for trial, but the 2018 charges are dismissed due to a missing witness. Artis is released from jail.
- September 2023: The DA’s Office reindicts Artis on 2018 charges, as well as a murder charge for Lyriq’s death.
- January 2025: After being on the run, Artis is found when a 9-month-old baby in his care dies. He’s later charged for that child’s death.
‘A monster free to go’
The recent arrest has reopened emotional wounds for Givens…