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MIDVALE — Police said the infant who died at a motel Friday had "several visible external injuries" and the parents were arrested in connection with child abuse homicide.
Police were at the Motel 6, 7263 S. 440 West in Midvale, on an unrelated call Friday afternoon, but were summoned by motel employees when a 911 call came in from a different room at the motel, police said. Police dispatch received the call from the Motel 6 with complaints that a child was not breathing, according to a jail report.
Unified police officers responded and "noticed that the child had several bruises in various stages of healing and was still warm to the touch," the jail report stated.
The infant had an illness which required him to be on oxygen, and was connected to oxygen when officers responded. Officers attempted to perform CPR and other life-saving efforts on the infant, but they could not revive him. Unified Fire Authority medics responded and pronounced him deceased on scene, the jail report stated.
The infant had several noticeable injuries, including bruising on the bridge of his nose, forehead, left cheek, left ear and around his left eye, according to the jail report. There was also an "an abrasion or possible laceration" on the left side of his neck, and his bone structure was clearly visible, the report stated.
The infants parents, Jose Ramirez, 21, and Jessica Lujan, 20, were arrested later Friday evening for investigation of child abuse homicide.
Lujan told police she had struck the child because she had gotten into a fight with Ramirez and the child was screaming and she became angry. She admitted to striking him several times and "scratching him with her fingernails," according to the jail report. Ramirez told police he witnessed Lujan "throw the infant into the car seat upside down," the jail report stated.
Lujan then went to sleep, and Ramirez cared for the child. "He did not call 911, despite having several opportunities to do so," and eventually placed the sleeping boy back in the car seat, the jail report stated. Ramirez then went to sleep himself and woke up Friday afternoon to find the boy unresponsive.
Ramirez then began CPR and "eventually a call to 911 was made" by Lujan, who did not speak to dispatchers, but instead set the phone down and left the room, the jail report stated. Ramirez spoke with dispatchers and stayed in the room until responders arrived.
Ramirez was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail late Friday and Lujan was booked early Saturday morning.
