San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man who allegedly strangled a child to death in San Juan Bautista, authorities said.
Shortly after midnight on June 7, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a call reporting a “baby not breathing” on the 100 block of The Alameda, Sheriff Eric Taylor said in a press release.
When deputies arrived at the home, they learned that a 34-year-old woman at the scene was awoken to her boyfriend attempting to strangle her, authorities said. The woman was able to escape from the man, who fled the apartment in a Ford Fusion.
A 4-year-old child was present when the attack occurred. As the boyfriend left, the woman was unable to locate her 2-year-old son in the bed. She exited the room to find the boy on the couch, where he was blue and appeared to be unconscious, says the press release.
Deputies and paramedics performed CPR on the child, who was not breathing and not responsive. Authorities transported the child to Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The sheriff’s office said physical evidence on the child indicated he had been strangled to death.
Authorities began a manhunt for the suspect, identified as Adrian Lujan, and located him in Merced County, says the press release. Officers and deputies chased Lujan’s vehicle and arrested him after a physical encounter.
Lujan was transported back to San Benito County, where detectives obtained a confession that he murdered his child, authorities said. No motive has been established.
“Our office would like to thank the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office, our allied Merced County partners and the California Highway Patrol for their attention to this case,” Taylor said in the press release. “We mourn the loss of the beautiful child and will pursue justice for him and his family.”
