Nine Month Old Baby Beaten to Death

May 23, 2000

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, May 22, 2000

"Nine Month Old Baby Died From a Beating"

Los Angeles – On May 20, 2000, at 1:30 AM, LAPD Detectives assigned to Juvenile Division, Abused Child Unit, were notified that a nine-month-old baby boy was hospitalized at Children’s Hospital, in Los Angeles, suffering from severe brain trauma. The victim, who had been in the custody of his 15 year-old mother and her 23 year-old live-in boyfriend, was not expected to survive his injuries. The family resided in the 3300 block of San Marino Avenue, in the Wilshire Area of Los Angeles.

The investigation revealed the injuries were caused by the victim’s mother. The suspect was booked for 602 Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section/Penal Code (PC) Section 273a(a) (Willful Cruelty to Child) and detained at Eastlake Juvenile Detention Center.

Wilshire Area personnel arrested the mother’s live-in boyfriend, Edwin Cuellar, for 261.5 PC (Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor), for having sexual relations with the mother of the victim. Wilshire Area detectives are handling this portion of the investigation.

On May 20, 2000 at 4:10 PM, Abused Child Unit detectives were notified that the nine-month-old baby boy succumbed to his injuries. Accordingly, Murder charges will now be filed against the mother of the victim.

Abused Child Unit Detective Beardsley is conducting the murder investigation.

For Release 9:00 am PDT
May 23, 2000