Lemon Grove Man Faces Child Abuse Charges

LEMON GROVE, Calif. -- An East County man was jailed Friday on suspicion of repeatedly beating his infant son over an extended period of time, leaving the child with dozens of broken bones, a sheriff's official reported.

Detectives arrested 33-year-old Mauricio Lopez early Friday afternoon following a foot chase that ended in an El Cajon home-improvement store, Sgt. Hank Turner said.

Last month, Lopez's wife took their then-5-month-old son to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, Turner said. Physicians evaluated the baby, then contacted child welfare services and law enforcement.

Doctors eventually determined that the child had suffered 34 broken bones in his arms, legs, ribcage and back, according to Turner. The fractures were in various stages of healing.

Following a monthlong investigation, sheriff's child-abuse detectives obtained a warrant for Lopez's arrest.

Investigators believe the beatings took place over a several-month period at the Lemon Grove home where the suspect and his wife lived at the time. Lopez no longer lives at the Gowin Street residence.

The victim has since been released from the hospital, according to Turner. The child is now in a foster home and is expected to survive, though with ongoing physical and possibly psychological after-effects, the sergeant said.