Source: Report Of Suspected Abuse Filed Prior To Toddler's Death
BALDWIN PARK (CBSLA.com) — A law enforcement source Friday said the murder of a 20-month-old in Baldwin Park wasn't the first case of suspected abuse of the toddler.
That source told CBS2's Kristine Lazar that Joshua Anderson Vazquez was taken to a hospital with a broken femur or thigh bone in February.
A doctor reportedly filed a report of suspected child abuse, according to the source, which went to both the Baldwin Park Police Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
The source said DCFS subsequently took the child into custody, but Baldwin Park police closed the case, concluding that no crime had occurred. A judge then returned Joshua back to his parents.
On June 12, the toddler was transported from a home in the 3700 block of Downing Avenue to a hospital, where he died, according to Sheriff's investigators.
An official coroner's report said Joshua died of "blunt force trauma," but as Lazar reports, a law enforcement source said the child had an almost ear-to-ear skull fracture and internal injuries.
The child's father, 32-year-old David Vazquez, has since been booked at the Baldwin Park Police Department on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $1 million.
When asked about the previous abuse investigation, Baldwin Park Police referred CBS2 to the Sheriff's Department and refused to comment.
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