LAPD Investigating Skull Fracture Of Infant Who Was With Father During Police Pursuit, Crash, And Capture
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — An internal investigation has been launched into the skull injury suffered by an infant who was with its father during a police pursuit, crash, and takedown by an LAPD officer.
Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday that officers had tried to stop a silver Jeep Wrangler at about 11:20 p.m. Friday when they saw it "driving erratically while the driver was shouting out something that was unintelligible."
Jose Hureta, 25, was allegedly driving the vehicle, which crashed into a large flatbed truck and drove away. He then stopped and tried to run away on foot, Moore said.
An officer ran after him and "used body weight to conduct a takedown on a grass lawn," Moore said. The officer didn't realize until afterward that Hureta was holding his 10-month-old infant, who appeared uninjured and was taken to a hospital for "a precautionary evaluation."
Doctors discovered the infant had a fractured skull, but Moore said they could not determine whether the child suffered the injury as a result of the officer's actions, the vehicle collision, or another incident.
The LAPD has launched an internal investigation into the incident. Officers found an empty child carrier in the Jeep Wrangler, but it didn't have a base attachment and was not fastened to the vehicle, Moore said. Narcotics and two loaded magazines were also allegedly recovered from the vehicle, but no gun was found.
Hureta faces charges felony child endangerment.
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