Boy allegedly killed by mom’s boyfriend died of stomach trauma
A 14-month-old Hawthorne boy whose mother and her boyfriend were arrested in his death died from blunt abdominal trauma, the L.A. County coroner’s office said Friday.
The baby was identified by coroner’s officials as Bryan Cartegena, who died late Sunday at Centinela Hospital Medical Center.
His mother, Sandra Cartegena, 42, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. Her boyfriend, Julio Mejia, 44, of Hawthorne, was charged with murder and one count of assault on a child causing death. If convicted he faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years to life.
There is still no indication of whether fists or some other object caused the boy’s injuries, said Larry Dietz, watch commander at the coroner’s office.
Cartegena’s 9-year-old and 14-year-old sons were taken into temporary custody by the county Department of Children and Family Services.
The circumstances of the boy’s death remained under investigation.
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