Father Accused Of Killing Baby Son In Desert Hot Springs

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA — A 24-year-old Desert Hot Springs man accused of killing his infant son was being held without bail Thursday, facing a murder charge.

Officers responded to the 66100 block of First Street at around 11 a.m. May 18 on a report of a baby not breathing, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department.

The 9-month-old boy was taken to a hospital then flown to a pediatric trauma center. He died three days later, police said.

The boy's father, Miguel Jeronemo Martinez Fernandez of Desert Hot Springs, was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and assault on a child under 8 causing great bodily harm resulting in death.

According to court documents, Fernandez allegedly shook and threw the boy with such force that the infant was rendered unconscious.

Fernandez pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due back in court Aug. 23 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

According to court records, Fernandez pleaded guilty March 2 to two felony counts in a domestic violence case involving the boy's mother. He was placed on three years probation, which he was serving when he was arrested in connection with the boy's death.

The baby's mother is not believed to be involved in the child's death, police said.