Father arrested in ‘tragic’ death of his 6-day-old baby boy, California deputies say
A father has been arrested following the death of his 6-day-old baby boy, California deputies say.
San Diego County deputies and first responders with the San Miguel Fire Department arrived at a Spring Valley home after getting a call about a battery Feb. 19, the sheriff’s office said in a Feb. 20 news release.
Inside the home, first responders found a newborn baby boy “unconscious on the living room floor with visible head trauma,” deputies said.
The baby was pronounced dead on scene, according to deputies.
Through an autopsy, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby’s cause of death was “blunt force trauma to the head” and ruled his death a homicide, deputies said.
The boy’s father, David Ruiz, 22, was arrested on a murder charge, deputies said.
An investigation into the baby’s death is ongoing, adding that “motivation and circumstances surrounding this tragic homicide are still unclear,” according to the release.
Ruiz is being held without bail on a first-degree murder charge, jail records show.
He is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment Friday, Feb. 21, where formal charges will be announced, a spokesperson for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office said in an email to McClatchy News.
Spring Valley is about a 10-mile drive east from San Diego.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Father arrested in ‘tragic’ death of his 6-day-old baby boy, California deputies say."
