CORSICANA, TX — A Navarro County jury has ensured that a woman who fled to Mexico to escape child abuse charges will never take another breath as a free citizen. On Thursday, March 5, 2026, 44-year-old Maria Carmen Barajas was sentenced to Life in Prison without the possibility of parole for the continuous sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl.
The sentencing marks the end of a decade-long saga that began in 2016 and involved a high-stakes international manhunt.
A Years-Long Betrayal and a Midnight Escape
In 2016, Barajas was hired as a trusted after-school babysitter. However, investigators revealed that within days of employment, Barajas and her husband began a horrific campaign of grooming and abuse.
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The Abuse: Prosecutors presented evidence that the couple gave the 8-year-old victim alcohol and subjected her to sexual molestation. Barajas was found to have participated in the abuse and recorded her husband molesting the child on her cellphone.
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The Disclosure: In May 2017, the victim told a teacher about the abuse. That same afternoon, detectives seized the couple’s cellphones.
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The Flight: As detectives returned with arrest warrants the following day, they found the family packing Barajas’s belongings. Security footage from the border later confirmed the couple had crossed into Mexico via Laredo at dawn.
The Return to Justice
After eight years as a fugitive, Barajas’s luck ran out in June 2025 when she attempted to cross the border back into the United States. She was immediately apprehended and returned to Navarro County to face trial.
The jury took only three days to hear the evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Katy Colts and District Attorney Will Thompson, returning a guilty verdict on Wednesday and the life sentence on Thursday morning.
"The jury sent a clear message that we have no tolerance for those who victimize our children," the District Attorney's office stated.
Separate Conviction: Serial Thief Sentenced to 5 Years
In an unrelated case also concluded this week in the 13th District Court, John Henry Hood, Jr. was sentenced to five years in prison for theft.
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The Crime: Hood was caught "skip scanning" items at a local Walmart—a process where a shopper scans some items while placing others directly into their cart without paying.
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The Defense: Hood claimed the self-checkout machine had a computer malfunction.
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The Evidence: CCTV footage debunked Hood's claim, showing him continue to skip scan even after an asset protection associate purposefully paused the transaction to deter him.
Due to a long history of prior felony convictions, Hood faced up to 20 years in prison but ultimately accepted a plea deal for a five-year term.
