A 38-year-old Mission Valley man is behind bars on suspicion of murder after his 7-month-old daughter died at Rady Children's Hospital early Tuesday. An evaluation revealed significant trauma to the infant. Rafael Santos called 911 shortly after 6:30 p.m. Monday to report that the baby was unconscious and not breathing at the family's apartment in the 1400 block of Hotel Circle North.
According to NBC 7 San Diego, officers and paramedics performed emergency medical treatment on the infant before an ambulance crew rushed her to Rady Children's Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Medical treatment and evaluation at the hospital revealed significant trauma to the infant, prompting a pediatric death investigation by SDPD child-abuse and homicide detectives. San Diego Police Lt. Christopher Leahy said the preliminary investigation indicates the infant died at the hands of another person, per the same NBC 7 report.
Santos, the girl's father, was booked into San Diego County Jail on suspicion of murder and child abuse following the initial medical evaluation of his daughter, according to Patch. He was held at San Diego Central Jail without bail. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, per the NBC 7 account.
What the Autopsy Still Has to Answer
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of the infant's death, and SDPD homicide detectives have urged anyone with relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers, Patch reports. The precise cause and mechanism of the injuries that led to the girl's death remain unresolved pending the Medical Examiner's determination.
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office maintains a Child Abuse Unit inside its Family Protection Division, according to the San Diego County District Attorney. Meanwhile, SDPD's Child Abuse Unit operates under a countywide Child Victim-Witness Protocol supported through a memorandum of understanding between the San Diego County Police Chiefs' and Sheriff's Association, that coordinates emergency response, medical evaluations, and criminal investigations across regional agencies.
A Hospital Built for These Exact Cases
Rady Children's Hospital, where the infant was evaluated and later died, operates the Chadwick Center for Children and Families — established in 1976 as a hospital-based Children's Advocacy Center, according to Rady Children's Health. San Diego County also runs a multidisciplinary Child Fatality Review Committee, formed in 1982 to review all sudden, unexpected child deaths and coordinate responses among law enforcement, medical examiners, and public health officials, per the County of San Diego.
The apartment where the infant lived was identified as being in Mission Valley West.
Previous Local Cases
In the Delilah case, the parents were charged with first-degree murder, pleaded not guilty and were awaiting trial.
For now, the investigation into what happened inside the Hotel Circle North apartment continues, with the cause of the infant's death still awaiting the medical examiner's final determination.
