Man Wanted in Boy’s Death Turns Self In

A Corona man, who police believe is responsible for the beating death of his girlfriend’s young son, turned himself in to authorities Monday, four days after police obtained a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge.

Daniel Rees, 27, had been sought by Corona police since last Thursday, when 3-year-old Christopher Lovell died at Riverside General Hospital, said Lt. Sam Spiegel, commander of detectives.

The boy had suffered major head trauma in an apparent beating two weeks earlier, Spiegel said, and an investigation led police to arrest Rees, who lived with the boy’s mother in her Border Avenue apartment, according to police.

Rees had been in custody, but was released on $25,000 bail after his Oct. 8 arraignment on a charge of felony child endangerment, Spiegel said.

Rees appeared Monday afternoon in Corona Municipal Court, where Judge Charles F. Pendleton set his bail at $100,000 cash or $250,000 bond, Spiegel said. He remained in custody in the city jail late Monday.

An autopsy showed that Christopher Lovell died as a result of head injuries from “blunt-force trauma,” a spokesman for the Riverside County coroner said.

No charges have been sought against the boy’s mother, Spiegel said because investigators have found no reason to believe she was involved in the beating.