A Mission Valley man is set to appear in court on suspicion of murder and child abuse following the Tuesday death of his infant daughter, authorities said.
First responders and physicians found “significant trauma to the infant,” prompting a pediatric death investigation by the San Diego Police Department’s Child Abuse and Homicide Units, officials said in a news release.
The 7-month-old girl’s father, Rafael Santos, 38, made a 911 call shortly after 6:30 p.m. Monday to report that the baby was unconscious and not breathing at her family’s apartment in the 1400 block of Hotel Circle North.
Officers and paramedics treated the girl before an ambulance crew took her to Rady Children’s Hospital. Doctors pronounced her dead soon after midnight Tuesday.
Santos is being held at San Diego Central Jail without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon. He faces charges of first-degree murder and cruelty to a child.
