Los Angeles: On August 20, 2004, at approximately 12:45 p.m., Los Angeles City paramedics were summoned to a house in the 5100 block of East Dartmouth Avenue in the El Sereno area of Los Angeles. Inside a bedroom at the location, they discovered an unconscious 10-year-old boy bleeding from a wound in the throat area. In another room, they found the boy’s mother, Rosa Santoyo, 28, in an unconscious state with a laceration on her arm. The police were summoned, and the boy and his mother were transported by paramedics to Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. The child died shortly thereafter.

Investigating detectives believe that Rosa Santoyo used one or more knives to kill the boy, and then tried to kill herself. Santoyo was arrested for murder, and is being held without bail in the County Jail Ward where she is in satisfactory condition.

The mother and the boy live alone. The father lives locally but is estranged from Santoyo. No motive has been established and the investigation is ongoing.

The Abused Child Unit is conducting this investigation. Anyone with information regarding this murder is asked to contact Juvenile Division Detectives at 213-485-4220. On weekends and during off-hours, call the 24-hour toll free number for the Detective Information Desk at 1-877-LAWFULL or 1-877-529-3855.

This press release was prepared by Media Relations Section, at 213-485-3586.