An 8-year-old boy has died days after he was found not breathing and severely beaten allegedly by his mother’s boyfriend, the Palmdale Sheriff’s Department said Friday evening.
The boy died about 3 p.m. Friday. He was found not breathing late Wednesday and was hospitalized in critical condition.
The boy lived in Palmdale with his two siblings, his mother and her boyfriend. Both adults were arrested, and the case is now with homicide detectives.
The boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 32, told detectives he caused injuries to the boy including a skull fracture, several broken ribs and burns, according to a Los Angeles County sheriff's statement issued Thursday. The mother, Pearl Fernandez, 29, told detectives she witnessed the attack but did not intervene, the statement said.
A neighbor who did not want her name released told media Thursday that she'd seen the child injured before -- limping, struggling to walk and with what appeared to be cigarette burns on his body.
The boy's siblings – ages 10 and 13 – were taken into protective custody by the Department of Children and Family Services.
To report child abuse, call 800-540-4000 or 213-639-4500.
