A man and his girlfriend have been taken into custody by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in the wake of his 4-year-old son's death in Palmdale, an announcement made by officials on Thursday. Andrew Havrella, 36, and Lacie Fetters, 25, are facing charges of child assault resulting in death and child abuse, this case followed an initial report of a medical emergency on December 3, 2024, at a residence located in the 1300 block of Pearblossom Highway. While the specific circumstances of the child's demise remain undisclosed, it has been confirmed by the medical examiner's office that the boy was pronounced dead at a Lancaster hospital that evening, according to ABC7.
The individuals were apprehended on Tuesday, after a month and a half of ongoing investigations by the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau into the suspicious death of Ryker Havrella, and charges were pressed on the same day, the information provided by the Sheriff's Information Bureau.
The case has been referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for possible filing of charges against Havrella and Fetters and the Sheriff's Department urges anyone with information to reach out anonymously through "Crime Stoppers" or by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP, the incident remains under investigation, with the department actively soliciting any public contributions that might shed further light.
