Child Dies; Mother Remains in Custody
The 22-month-old son of an East San Diego woman being held on suspicion of attempting to murder him died Wednesday afternoon in Children’s Hospital, hospital officials said.
It had not been decided whether the charges would be changed to murder, a police spokesman said. He said the woman, 19-year-old Bonnie Tafoya of Orange Avenue, remained in custody on charges of attempted murder and child abuse.
Tafoya’s son, James Robert Deems, died at 2:45 p.m. at Children’s Hospital after he was removed from life-support systems, hospital spokeswoman Terry Merryman said. His critical condition had been traced to “probable asphyxiation,” she had said earlier.
Police found the child without a pulse Tuesday evening shortly after receiving a call from a woman who said, “I just killed my son,” according to police spokesman Bill Robinson. Robinson said the baby had been smothered with a pillow.
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