Antioch Dad Charged With Beating Baby To Death
ANTIOCH (BCN) -- A 2-month-old Antioch boy has died after allegedly being punched earlier this week by his father, who is now being charged with murder in the case, a Contra Costa County prosecutor said Friday afternoon.
Antioch police learned of the attack shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday when a doctor at Sutter Delta Medical Center called to report that an infant suffering major injuries had been brought to the hospital, police Sgt. Diane Aguinaga said.
Doctors told police that the infant was unresponsive when he was brought to the hospital by ambulance, and they believed he was the victim of child abuse.
The baby was transferred to Children's Hospital in Oakland to be treated for multiple fractured bones, a lacerated liver and bleeding in his brain, police said.
The baby remained in a vegetative state until he succumbed to his injuries Friday, prosecutor John Cope said.
The boy's father, Sigifredo Lua, 23, was charged for the alleged attack on the infant Friday, and the charges has been amended to include murder following the death, Cope said.
Lua was also charged with willfully injuring a child for his alleged attack in 2009 on his older son, now 2 years old, and corporal injury on a spouse for allegedly beating his wife earlier this month, Cope said.
The older son had been hospitalized at the time of the 2009 attack, and police and child protective services launched an investigation, but when investigators brought the case to the district attorney's office, prosecutors declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence, Cope said.
While investigating the latest case, police learned that Lua had been taking care of the two children while his wife was at work. He reportedly called his wife and told her that the baby was injured and she called 911, police said.
According to police, Lua's initial statements to investigators about how the infant had been hurt were inconsistent with the boy's injuries.
Lua later confessed that he punched the baby in the face to make him stop crying, police said.
During the investigation, police also learned that Lua had allegedly abused his wife earlier this month.
Cope said he couldn't comment on whether the mother knew Lua was abusing the children as well, but said that no charges had been filed against her.
The mother was extremely distraught and is fully cooperating with the investigation, Aguinaga said.
The older child was taken into protective custody and will undergo a thorough medical examination, Aguinaga said.
Lua was scheduled for arraignment on the charges Friday afternoon in Contra Costa County Superior Court in Pittsburg.
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