Simi Valley Man Arrested in Infant Son’s Death

Following a six-month investigation, Sheriff’s Department detectives have arrested a Simi Valley man on suspicion of shaking his infant son to death.

Brian Trelatsky, 25, was arrested without incident Friday and booked at the east valley jail. His bail was set at $260,000.

On the afternoon of March 28, Simi Valley police and fire units responded to a call of a baby not breathing at a mobile home in the 6400 block of Katherine Road. They found 2-month-old Tyler Trelatsky in cardiac arrest and revived him.

Tyler was taken to Simi Valley Hospital for initial treatment, then transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

Doctors determined he had retinal hemorrhaging and brain swelling, symptoms consistent with shaken-baby syndrome, police said. Tyler’s condition deteriorated and he died the next day.

An autopsy, police said, showed that Tyler died from trauma from an impact, shaking or a combination of the two.

After police studied Tyler’s death, they arrested his father Friday, said Sgt. Bob Gardner, a spokesman for the Simi Valley Police Department.

The six-month lag between the death and the arrest was not unusual, Gardner said.

“There had to be reviews by the D.A.’s office,” Gardner said. “There had to be reviews by the D.A.’s medical experts. Obviously there’s a lot of medical opinion. . . . It’s a very, very technical and subjective kind of thing that involves a lot of science.”

Brian Trelatsky’s parents, however, said their son was innocent.

“He did not do this,” said Thomas Trelatsky, Brian’s father. “We’re up in the air. We don’t know what to do.”

Tyler had a number of health problems prior to his death, Thomas Trelatsky said.

“I don’t know how they come up with this how [Tyler] died,” Thomas Trelatsky said. “Tyler had a breathing problem and a bowel movement problem.”

Tyler’s head and neck could have been damaged as Brian, a stay-at-home dad, ran to the neighbor’s house for help with the child in his arms, Thomas Trelatsky said.

“He was a good father,” he said. “He really did care for these kids.”

The Department of Children and Family Services has since taken Tyler’s 2-year-old brother, Scott, into protective custody. Brian Trelatsky’s wife, Catherine, declined to comment.