Injured Toddler Dies; Mother’s Boyfriend Held : Arrest: Celerino Alarran Ochoa, 18, is jailed on suspicion of murder after police learn that he is not a minor. Child might have suffered a broken neck.

An 18-month-old girl, critically injured Friday at her home, died Saturday morning and police have arrested her mother’s boyfriend on suspicion of murder.

Celerino Alarran Ochoa, 18, had been held in Orange County Juvenile Hall since Friday on suspicion of child endangerment, but he was booked into the Santa Ana Jail on Saturday when police learned that he had lied about his age, Sgt. John Dettus said.

Ochoa originally told police he was 17, possibly making him eligible for treatment as a juvenile, Dettus said. Bail has not been set in the case.

On Saturday, the girl’s mother, Maria Delgado, said she would stand by her boyfriend even though she was not sure how her daughter was injured. Delgado, 22, said that authorities told her her daughter possibly suffered a broken neck.

Authorities declined to comment on the injuries suffered by Carina Ramirez, who was removed from life-support systems about 10:20 a.m. and died a short time later at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center.

“I don’t know if he hurt the baby,” the mother said, resting on the living room sofa. “I don’t know.”

Delgado said she has been living with Ochoa in the 200 block of North Figueroa Street for the past month and has known him for three months. The child’s father, Jesus Ramirez, is living in Mexico.

Authorities were called to the home at 12:23 p.m. after receiving a report that a child had stopped breathing. Shortly before the call, Delgado said, she had been in the kitchen cooking while Ochoa, her daughter and 4-year-old son, Alberto, were in the living room.

Delgado said her daughter and son apparently were playing together when the girl fell and hit her head. She said her daughter was apparently knocked unconscious but was not bleeding.

She rushed to the child, picked her up and “called out to Celerino,” Delgado said.

“I felt sick when I saw the baby. I was confused,” she said, adding that she tried to comfort the child and then called the Fire Department. She said the back of her daughter’s head appeared to be swollen.

Liz Zazueta, who lives behind Delgado, said her father owns the house that Delgado and her children share with three other people. On Friday, Zazueta said, she was on her way to work before the police arrived when she saw a man outside the Delgado house holding a child in his arms. She said there were other people outside with the man and they all appeared concerned.

Zazueta, however, said she did not know what had happened to the child.

Jose Luis, who shares the house with Delgado, said he was not at home when the incident occurred and was not very familiar with the suspect’s background.

Ochoa was taken into custody at the scene and questioned throughout the day by investigators of the Police Department’s child abuse unit.

It was not until Saturday, Dettus said, that investigators learned that Ochoa had lied about his age. Following that discovery, police transferred Ochoa to the Santa Ana Jail. The charges were upgraded to suspicion of murder when the child died Saturday morning.

Orange County coroner’s officials said an autopsy on the child could be performed today. However, both police and coroner’s officials declined to discuss the nature of the girl’s injuries.

Funeral arrangements have not been made, Delgado said.