LONG BEACH (CNS) - A Los Angeles man pleaded not guilty today to murdering his 11-month-old son in Long Beach last month.
Jeremy Wade, 23, is charged with one count each of murder, assault on a child causing death and false imprisonment by violence, along with a misdemeanor count of battery on a spouse or girlfriend.
Long Beach police officers went to the 5400 block of Atlantic Avenue Feb. 9 on a report of a domestic violence incident, police said.
``Upon arrival, officers located a female victim who stated she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, who was later identified as Jeremy Wade,'' Long Beach police said in a statement. ``The female victim told officers that she shares a child with Wade and that he and the child were asleep in a nearby motel room.
Patrol officers located Wade and his son, Isaiah Gaston, inside a motel room.
The boy was ``unresponsive and officers began rendering life-saving measures until Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived and transported the child to a nearby hospital -- where he later succumbed to his injuries,'' according to police.
Homicide detectives subsequently ``discovered evidence that Wade caused serious bodily injury'' to the baby, which ``resulted in his death,'' police said.
The boy died of multiple blunt force traumatic injuries, according to records from the coroner's office.
Wade -- who was arrested Feb. 9 by Long Beach police -- has remained behind bars in lieu of $2.05 million bail.