SANTA ANA : Toddler in Critical Condition After Fall

A 19-month-old boy was in critical condition Tuesday afternoon after falling from a third-story balcony and landing on his head, authorities said.

While in the care of his 18-year-old aunt shortly after noon, Bernardo Pescado Jr. apparently slipped between metal vertical bars on a balcony and fell over the edge, hitting a flight of stairs before landing on the concrete, police and fire officials said.

A neighbor called the fire department, and paramedics found the boy unconscious with numerous cuts and a skull fracture, said spokesman Larry Garcia of the Santa Ana Fire Department.

Pescado was alone with his aunt in the apartment, at 435 S. Birch St., at the time of the accident, said Maureen Haacker, a Santa Ana Police spokeswoman. Police questioned the aunt, whose name was not available. Investigators said there was no sign of foul play. The boy was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.