Santa Monica: 5-year-old girl’s death investigated as a homicide

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Kayla Fernandez, a 5-year-old Latino girl, died at 11:33 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.

Her death is being investigated as a homicide, although officials have not determined the cause of death, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Information provided by the coroner’s office shows that Kayla possibly suffered from head trauma and fractures in 2003 in Northern California, where she is from, but the district attorney’s office there refused to file charges because of conflicting information provided by the local hospital.

Kayla, who was born prematurely, underwent two heart surgeries in her young life. She was last living at a specialty healthcare facility in Sun Valley before being taken to the hospital.

—Amanda Covarrubias