The Northern California father of an infant found dead behind a mortuary in Southern California surrendered at the U.S.-Mexico border after a week of a statewide manhunt, authorities said Monday.
Alexander Echeverria, 22, was taken into custody at the border in San Diego County, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department said. He surrendered himself to federal agents with his attorney present at 12 p.m. He was taken to a jail in San Diego.
Eight-month-old Alexia Rose Echeverria was discovered dead in a car seat, partially covered by a blanket behind a mortuary in the 10300 block of Alondra Boulevard in Bellflower, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
A growing memorial at the Southern California site continued to display stuffed animals and hand-written notes for the baby girl in the week after she was found.
The search for Alexander Echeverria began after the child’s body was discovered May 27. It’s believed the child had died in Sacramento, and was driven to the Los Angeles area, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said in an earlier report.
The baby’s mother told media in Northern California she heard from another family member that the death was an accident, and Echeverria panicked, thinking no one would believe it was not an intentional death.
His brother had been told that Echeverria had allegedly dropped the child while throwing her in the air, and slipped, the baby’s mother told news outlets.
Detective Sgt. James Wilcox with the Child Abuse Bureau said in a Monday news conference that Echeverria was taken into custody heading from Mexico back into the United States Monday at noon. Authorities said he was cooperative during the process.
Echeverria also had an arrest warrant out for domestic violence related charges, Sacramento Sheriff’s officials said.
Autopsy results were still pending, but authorities said her death was not due to natural causes.
Photo Credit: LA County Sheriff’s/NBCLA
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Source: NBC Los Angeles