A Copperas Cove woman was sentenced in May to a 10-year term of deferred adjudication probation after her 3-year-old daughter died following a crash in Killeen; this week, a co-defendant in the manslaughter case received the same sentence.

Police said that Manuel Bayona Jr. was driving and became distracted by his cell phone when he rear-ended a vehicle on Dec. 31, 2023.

The victim, Viviana Lopez, was unsecured in the front passenger side with her mother, co-defendant Selena Martinez, when the crash occurred.

The child died of her injuries on Jan. 28, 2024. Three other children, two 5-year-olds and 4-year-old, also were passengers in the vehicle.

Martinez and Bayona were indicted on Aug. 28, 2024, on a second-degree felony charge of manslaughter. Both were released from the Bell County

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