Man to Stand Trial in Death of Ex-Girlfriend’s Young Son : Courts: Judge rules that evidence shows Brian Laudenback could have caused the child’s internal injuries and bleeding.

A 32-year-old man was bound over for trial Friday on charges that he killed his ex-girlfriend’s 22-month-old son.

At a preliminary hearing, Municipal Judge Craig Edward Robison found that prosecutors presented sufficient evidence showing that Brian Laudenback of Newport Beach could have inflicted enough force on Tyler Jaeger, causing the toddler to bleed to death from internal injuries. Laudenback is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court on Aug. 23.

Prosecutors alleged that Laudenback inflicted some sort of trauma on the boy on March 25 while he was baby-sitting Tyler for the child’s mother, Karey Jaeger, who was away at work. Photographs of Tyler after his death, with deep bruises on his face and buttock, were introduced as evidence.

Dr. Aruna Singhania, who performed the autopsy, testified that the child’s brain, abdomen and buttock had hemorrhaged. The autopsy also showed two fractures in his skull, two broken ribs and cuts to his liver and pancreas, Singhania said. Many of the injuries occurred within hours of Tyler’s death, she testified.

Laudenback’s attorney, Public Defender Sharon L. Petrosino, implied during the hearing that Tyler died of injuries he suffered from a fall March 18. On that day, the child was taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian for treatment of a large bump on his head, which turned out to be a fractured skull. Laudenback, who was also baby-sitting Tyler then, told Jaeger and hospital officials that the toddler hurt himself when he fell off a picnic table in the patio. Officials said the injuries were consistent with a tumble.

Singhania testified that Tyler’s numerous injuries simply could not have been caused by a fall from a table, which was two to three feet off the ground. Also, she said, hospital records showed that he had one skull fracture from that fall as opposed to the two at the time of his death.

According to testimony, Laudenback, in a series of interviews with police, said Tyler had been sick on the morning of March 25, vomiting twice. Later that day, he found the boy on his back, his hands jerking and his eyes half-closed. He then unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate the child, he told police. Tyler was taken to Hoag Hospital, but doctors could not revive the boy.

Laudenback also told police he had spanked the boy the day before.

Petrosino, however, said her client might have inadvertently hurt Tyler when he attempted to give him cardiopulmonary resuscitation. “What we are saying is that Brian’s action did not result in the intentional killing of this child,” Petrosino said.