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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Commission today that the department is investigating the source of a 10-month-old's fractured skull after an officer apprehended the infant's father, who had crashed his vehicle and fled the scene with the child in his arms.
Newton Division officers were conducting a traffic stop at about 11:20 p.m. Friday when they saw a silver Jeep Wrangler ``driving erratically while the driver was shouting out something that was unintelligible,'' Moore told the Police Commission.
Officers drove toward the vehicle, which was allegedly driven by 25- year-old Jose Hureta. Hureta allegedly crashed his vehicle into a large flatbed truck and drove away before stopping the vehicle and fleeing on foot, according to Moore.
An officer ran after him and ``used body weight to conduct a takedown on a grass lawn,'' Moore said. He added that the officer didn't realize until afterward that Hureta was holding his 10-year-old infant, who appeared uninjured and was taken to a hospital for ``a precautionary evaluation.''
Doctors discovered that the infant had a fractured skull, but Moore said the doctors could not determine if the infant suffered the injury as a result of the officer's actions, the vehicle collision or another incident.
The LAPD launched an internal investigation into the incident. Officers discovered an empty child carrier in the suspect's vehicle, which didn't have a base attachment and was not fastened to the vehicle. Narcotics and two loaded magazines were also allegedly recovered from the vehicle, but no gun was found.
Hureta was booked on suspicion of felony child endangerment.