Newhall Father Accused In Infant Death To Be Arraigned Tuesday

NEWHALL (CBSLA.com) — A Newhall father accused of killing his newborn is expected to be arraigned this week.

Matthew Warner, 30, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday in connection with the death of his baby girl, Ellorah Rose Warner.

The infant's body was found on Jan. 24 in a pickup truck parked in the 23600 block of Newhall Avenue.

The baby's grandmother told KCAL9's Kristine Lazar Warner allegedly admitted to her that he used methamphetamines the night before Ellorah died.

She said, on the morning of the murder, she heard him allegedly use an unusual and stern tone with the baby girl and then heard a weak, muffled cry coming from the couple's bedroom.

She said she didn't think much of it until she says Warner's behavior allegedly escalated as the day wore on.

She told Lazar, around 5:30 p.m. Friday, she called 911, a few hours before the baby's parents reported her missing.

She said she had to use her neighbor's phone as Warner had allegedly dismantled their phone.

She told Lazar she told the 911 dispatcher that Warner was acting erratically. When deputies arrived, she said Warner and the infant were gone.

The baby's grandmother asked KCAL9 not use her name. She said she didn't think the baby was in danger so deputies left.

She told Lazar: "I'll never get over not taking stronger action. My thought at the time was – she was just a 3-week-old baby. He couldn't possibly hurt her."

She also said Warner allegedly told her daughter and investigators that Ellorah's lips turned blue and she suddenly stopped breathing but he was afraid to call 911 because he was high.

An autopsy on the infant is pending.

The baby's grandmother went on to say: "I don't want the focus of this story to be on him. I want us all to remember Ellorah."

Lazar reports that Warner has had three prior arrests over the past year but has never spent more than 10 days in jail.

If you would like to donate, a fund has been set up to help pay for funeral accommodations, which can be reached by clicking here.