Local News in Brief : Man Arrested in Death of Boy, 4, in His Care

A North Hollywood man was arrested on suspicion of murdering a 4-year-old boy who was in his care, Los Angeles police said Thursday.

Ricky Smith, 28, was arrested Tuesday, a week after emergency room personnel at Childrens Hospital in Hollywood became suspicious and called police after examining the injuries of Stephen Boone, said Lt. Steve Day, supervisor of the abused child unit.

The unconscious boy was brought to the hospital at 7 p.m. on July 12 by paramedics who had been called to his home in the 11000 block of Otsego Street in North Hollywood. Police said the boy had head injuries and was placed on life support equipment after lapsing into a coma. He died the next day.

Police said Smith was a boyfriend of the boy’s mother, Stephanie Fouts, 26, and an on-and-off-again resident of the home on Otsego. Few details of the investigation were released, but police said Smith was arrested this week after an autopsy determined the boy died of traumatic injuries. “We believe the injuries were caused by his hand, and that’s why he was arrested,” Day said.

Day declined to say how the child had been injured. Smith, who was held without bail, is expected to be arraigned in Van Nuys Municipal Court today, he said.