Boy, 6, Fatally Stabbed In Florence Allegedly By His Own Father

FLORENCE (CBSLA.com) — A man was in custody Thursday in connection with the stabbing death of his 6-year-old son, officials said.

The incident happened around midnight at a home in the 1600 block of 88th Street, near the corner of Compton Avenue, in Florence, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports when deputies arrived on scene, they found a man, believed to be the boy's father, screaming and covered in blood.

"They walked to the back of the location where there was a trailer and they found a male Hispanic boy, about 6 years of age, suffering from what appeared to be stab wounds," Lt. Eddie Hernandez said.

Officials determined the first grader had a light pulse and administered CPR. He was transported to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood where he died from his wounds.

The boy's father, who was identified by neighbors as 38-year-old Alejandro Sanchez, was detained for question and then arrested.

Neighbors said Sanchez had a history of drug and alcohol abuse and that the child showed signs of abuse.

"A burn on one of his legs and he would say that he was scared to be with his dad,"  the nanny's daughter Grizelle Ibarra said. "Yesterday he mentioned he didn't want to go home because he was scared his dad was going to hit him."

Deputies recovered several knives from the scene, but it was unknown if they were used in the crime.

KCAL9's Erica Nochlin said the boy's father  is being held on $1 million bail.

The boy, a first-grader at Parmelee Avenue Elementary School, has been identified as Nathan Sanchez.

Police said when they arrives on scene, the boy's father was shouting incoherently.

The boy's nanny said she was watching over him only yesterday. She also provided KCAL9 with a picture of Nathan.

The nanny also told KCAL9, that the boy's mother died shortly after he was born. Nathan lived in the home with his father.

Nochlin was checking to see if there were any previous reports of child abuse regarding Sanchez but Child Protective Services told her it would take some time for them to gather that information.