Oxnard Couple Arrested On Suspicion of Strangling, Killing Newborn Baby Inside Hospital Right After He Was Born
An Oxnard couple was arrested Friday on suspicion of strangling and killing the woman’s newborn baby boy after she had just given birth to him at a hospital, officials said.
Officers responded to a call about a suspicious injury at St. John’s Medical Center on 1600 N. Rose Ave. at about 7:53 a.m. and were told that an infant was in serious condition and had “suspicious injuries,” the Oxnard Police Department said in a news release.
During an investigation, detectives found that the child’s mother, Andrea Torralba, 20, and her boyfriend, David Villa, 21, had strangled the baby boy until he was unconscious, Oxnard police said.
Medical staff found that the infant was unresponsive and tried to treat him, but he succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital, authorities said.
Torralba and Villa were arrested on a felony charge of assault on a child by means of force resulting in the child’s death, authorities said.
The couple told detectives they didn’t want the baby, Oxnard police Sgt. Brandon Ordelheide told the Associated Press.
Bail for Villa was set at $5,000,000, according to county inmate records. No booking information was available for Torralba, but police said her bail was set at $1,000,000.
The case is under investigation.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Detective Juan Morales at 805-385-3922. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling the Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Photo Credit: Oxnard Police Department