A Texas family joyfully texted out an invitation to their baby's baptism, but the chilling response they received from what turned out to be the wrong number filled them with horror.
According to San Antonio police, Jose Israel Teran Jr., 21, who was already in jail on an unrelated charge, is now facing additional charges after allegedly offering to buy a 9-month-old baby and claiming he intended to "harvest the child's organs."
The disturbing incident began on Dec 30 when the baby's family sent a group text inviting relatives to the infant's baptism. Unbeknownst to them, one of the recipients was Teran, due to a family member recently changing their phone number.
Teran allegedly responded to the message with a chilling question: "That's a nice Caucasian baby. How much you want?"
A family member quickly replied, "Wrong number," and blocked the contact. However, Teran reportedly continued by texting another family member in the group, offering to "start the bid at $500,000" for the child.
When family members called the number, Teran allegedly told them he was serious about purchasing the baby, offering payment in cash or Bitcoin. He reportedly confessed that he "purchases babies for their organs" and even suggested meeting that night to complete the transaction.
Terrified, the family contacted police and provided screenshots of the disturbing messages. Investigators traced the phone to Teran, who was already being held in Bexar County Jail on an unrelated charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Teran told officers he thought the baptism invitation was "spam," but authorities questioned why he continued messaging after being told it was a wrong number.
Teran now faces charges of prohibition of the purchase and sale of human organs in addition to his previous charges. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Originally published on Latin Times
