Suspect Sandra Cartagena
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide investigators are continuing their investigation into the death of a 14-month old Hawthorne boy discovered late last night at Centinela Hospital.
When the child arrived via ambulance at the hospital he was not breathing. At 11:45 p.m. he was pronounced dead by the treating physician.
Today Sheriff’s Homicide detectives arrested the child’s mother, Sandra Cartegena, 42, for Child Endangerment, and her boyfriend, Julio Mejia, 44, for Murder.
Both are being held at the Hawthorne Police Department.
Cartegena’s 9 year-old and 14 year-old sons have been taken into protective custody by the Department of Children’s and Family Services.
The investigation is ongoing.
Suspect Julio Mejia
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s COPS Bureau at (323) 627-8137. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
–Source: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department #LASD
