A 10-year-old boy died hours after a reported fall in Lancaster, and his death is being considered “suspicious,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.
The young boy was found unresponsive when Lancaster Station deputies responded to the apartment, located in the 1100 block of East Avenue K, to a report of a child not breathing around noon Wednesday, according to a sheriff’s news release.
He was reported to have been injured in a fall, officials said.
The boy was taken to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries early the following morning.
A cause of death has not yet been determined, but investigators are calling it “suspicious.” The case is being handled by the sheriff’s Homicide and Special Victims bureaus.
The 10-year-old was named Anthony Avalos, the director of the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services told the Los Angeles Times.
The child services agency had previously responded to reports of child abuse at the same home, a source familiar with the investigation told the newspaper.
Amid the ongoing and active investigation, seven children who either lived or were associated with the victim’s family have been removed from the home, the sheriff’s release stated. The children’s ages ranged from 11 months to 12 years old.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500.
Those who would like to provide a tip anonymously can do so by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, or by visiting the website LACrimeStoppers.org.