Mother, Boyfriend Arrested On Suspicion Of Strangling Newborn Infant

OXNARD (CBSLA) — Authorities say a mother and her boyfriend have been arrested on suspicion of strangling a newborn infant.

Officers from the Oxnard Police Department say they responded to a hospital regarding a report of a suspicious injury on Friday.

Upon arrival, they learned that a newborn infant had been brought in, and remained in critical condition. The child was reported to have sustained suspicious injuries. The baby subsequently died.

Detectives also arrived on scene, and began to investigate. As a result, authorities say detectives learned that the child was strangled unconscious allegedly by her mother and the mother's boyfriend.

Both were arrested on suspicion of assault on a child by means of force resulting in the child's death. Bail has been set at $1 million. They were identified as Andrea Torralba and David Villa.

Following the baby's death, the hospital released the following statement:

"While we deal with tragedies every day, the staff at St. John's Regional Medical Center are devastated by the alleged incident. In the midst of this investigation, it is timely to remind our community of California's Safe Surrender Law wherein: Newborn infants can be dropped off at any safe surrender site such as hospitals, fire stations and police stations, within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked. According to the California Department of Social Services, 'From January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2017, 931 newborns have been surrendered in California, and 88 newborns were surrendered during the 2017 calendar year.' "

For information about Safe Surrender Sites, a toll-free, anonymous hotline number can be reached at 877.BABY.SAF (1-877-222-9723).