Hawthorne Man Charged With Murder Of Baby Pleads No Contest

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA – A Hawthorne man set to be tried for the murder of his girlfriend's 14-month-old son pleaded no contest Monday to two counts of assault on a child causing great bodily injury.

Julio Mejia, 48, entered his plea as jury selection was scheduled to begin for his trial. He was ordered to return to court on Jan. 26, when he is expected to be sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokesman Ricardo Santiago.

The toddler was taken from the Hawthorne apartment his mother shared with her three children and Mejia on Aug. 25, 2013. He was not breathing when he arrived at Centinela Freeman Regional Medical Center in Inglewood and was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma.

Mejia has been jailed in lieu of $1 million bail since his arrest the day after the boy died.

The boy's mother was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, but the District Attorney's Office declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence.

City News Service; Image via Shutterstock