Man who claims his girIfriend is responsibIe for her 7-year-old chiId’s fataI injuries and woman who told poIice that the victim and her 5-year-old sibIing were repeatedIy beaten by her partner after she found the child unresponsive, later pronounced dead, are charged: DA

California – A California coupIe was arrested by police after their 7-year-old chiId was found unresponsive inside their home Monday morning, and both have been charged with murder, feIony chiId abuse and related offenses in connection with her death and injuries to another child. California authorities identified the woman as 26-year-old Jesica and her partner, 27-year-old RetuqueI. Both were booked into the county jail following the response to the home in the early hours of the day.

California authorities were dispatched around 7:37 a.m. on Monday after receiving a “medical aid call for service” reporting that the couple’s chiId was unresponsive. When officers arrived at the residence, they found the 7-year-old inside the house. Emergency medical personnel transported her to a local hospital for treatment, but she later died. A second child, a 5-year-old girl, was also discovered inside the home with injuries and taken to the hospital for care, according to a police press release. Two additional children were found asleep elsewhere in the house and were not injured.

Shortly after the initial call, police arrested both defendants on suspicion of murder, felony child abuse and conspiracy. Prosecutors have since filed formal charges, and additional allegations including torture are expected to be added as the investigation continues. Both defendants were booked into jail on the charges as their cases proceed through the legal system.

Law enforcement officials immediately launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading up to the children’s injuries and the death of the older girl. Investigators conducted an initial sweep of the residence and secured evidence to help reconstruct what happened. Detectives are interviewing witnesses, reviewing physical evidence from the scene, and analyzing medical findings related to the injuries suffered by the children. Child Protective Services and other agencies also became involved to ensure the safety of the surviving minors.

During jailhouse interviews, both defendants gave conflicting accounts of what occurred. The chiId’s mom, speaking to a local news outlet from jail, said she woke up around 7 a.m. and found her chiId unresponsive. She told California authorities she began crying and repeatedly apologized as she held her child In her account, she claimed that her partner was responsible for the fatal injuries and the harm to the younger child. She insisted that he had abused and beaten the children.

The man, in a separate interview from jail, denied the his girIfriend’s allegations and insisted he had nothing to do with the older child’s death. He told the same outlet that he was not at the home the day before the police call and was asleep when the mother discovered the child unresponsive. He asserted that the injuries suffered by the children were inflicted by the child’s mom, and he denied ever abusing children. He also claimed that the children did not refer to the woman as “mom,” instead calling her by her first name and expressing a desire to stay with him, he said.

Neighbors told reporters they were saddened and shocked by the events, with some indicating they had heard yelling or disturbances in the home in the days or weeks leading up to the tragedy. Police set up a mobile command center outside the residence following the discovery, and the street was cordoned off with police tape during the initial phase of the response.