The child’s father is charged with murder in the death of 23-year-old Savanna Krueger.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A child was placed with Texas child welfare authorities after police said the child’s father fatally choked the child’s mother during an argument at a San Antonio apartment complex in May.
The criminal case names Marc Balditt, 24, as the defendant and Savanna Krueger, 23, as the woman who died. Police said the two had been discussing their child before the exchange became physical. That detail made the child part of the first response and left the case moving on two paths: a murder investigation and a separate child welfare placement.
Officers were sent just after 10 p.m. May 13 to The Park at Sutton Oaks Apartments, in the 1000 block of Locke Street. The call was treated as an assault in progress, according to reports based on a San Antonio Police Department account. Police said Balditt was the person who called 911. He allegedly told dispatchers that Krueger was not responding after he put her in a headlock. When officers entered the apartment, they found Krueger in a bedroom and started a response that soon became a homicide case.
Police said Krueger had redness on her neck and what appeared to be vomit on her face when officers found her. Emergency medical workers responded, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified her. Her cause and manner of death were still pending in the public reports released after the incident. Police have not released a final autopsy finding, a detailed timeline of emergency medical treatment, or an official explanation of how long Krueger may have been unresponsive before the 911 call.
Investigators said Balditt told them he and Krueger were talking about their child before the conversation turned into a verbal argument. Police said the argument later became physical. According to the police account, Balditt said he placed Krueger in a chokehold for one to two minutes. Investigators said he described the purpose as putting her to sleep. Police have not released additional context for that statement, including whether the words came during the 911 call, during questioning at the scene, or during a later interview.
The child was placed in the custody of Child Protective Services after police arrived, according to local reporting. Authorities have not released the child’s age, name or exact placement. They also have not said whether the child witnessed the confrontation or was elsewhere when officers arrived. In cases involving the death of a parent and the arrest of another parent, child welfare officials typically assess immediate placement, family contacts and safety concerns, but the agency’s detailed records are generally not public because they involve a minor.
Balditt was arrested and later booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center just after 5 p.m. May 14. He faces a murder charge and was being held on a $250,000 bond. The booking shifted the case from the apartment scene to the criminal courts. Prosecutors will review police reports, witness interviews, medical findings and any recorded statements before the case moves through later stages. Balditt is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case also leaves unanswered questions about Krueger’s final minutes. Public reports say police found visible neck redness, but the medical examiner had not issued a final cause or manner of death in the accounts available after the arrest. That finding may be important for prosecutors and the defense. A final report could address whether asphyxia, injury, another medical event or a combination of factors caused the death. It could also address the time frame between the alleged hold and Krueger’s death.
The apartment complex on Locke Street became the center of the investigation after the 911 call. Police have not said whether detectives searched the apartment under a warrant, whether they collected phones, whether there were signs of a longer struggle, or whether neighbors reported hearing an argument. Local reports describe a response inside one apartment bedroom, but the public record does not yet include a full crime scene inventory. Those details may appear later in affidavits, discovery filings or court testimony.
Krueger’s identification changed the public understanding of the case after early reports said authorities had not named the victim. The medical examiner’s identification provided her age and name, while leaving the medical ruling pending. Police have not released a public statement from Krueger’s relatives, and local reports have not described funeral details or a family account of her relationship with Balditt. The limited public record has kept the focus on the police report and the court schedule.
The next listed court appearance for Balditt is Aug. 12. Before then, prosecutors may present the case to a grand jury or file additional records, depending on the path the case takes in Bexar County. The child welfare portion is expected to remain largely outside public view, while the murder case proceeds through hearings, filings and possible later testimony.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.