LA man charged in beating death of toddler was arrested for burglary same month alleged abuse occurred

A North Hollywood man arrested in March for alleged organized retail theft and subsequently released on bail was recently charged in the March 22 beating death of his 14-month-old son.

Cesar Daniel Cabrera Jr., 20, is charged with assault on a child and child abuse likely to cause great bodily injury, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced on Aug. 26.

Prosecutors added an out-on-bail enhancement to the case, though it is unclear if District Attorney George Gascon is allowing sentencing enhancements after he barred them in nonviolent cases when he took office in 2020. 

Gascon’s office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital.

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“The physical abuse suffered by this young boy is horrifying. That the alleged perpetrator is the child’s father is unconscionable,” the district attorney said in a statement last week. “The harm inflicted in this case warrants that special allegations be filed. My office is committed to protecting our children by holding accountable anyone who abuses them.”

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A police report states that the 14-month-old boy suffered brain and head injuries as a result of the alleged abuse that occurred on March 22. Cabrera, his biological father, allegedly admitted to the crime in an interview with police. 

Cabrera and Samantha Emseralda Melaraurbina, 18, were also accused of stealing $6,000 worth of Lululemon apparel on two separate occasions in January and again in February, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lost Hills Station and court records. 

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The 20-year-old was arrested in March and charged with three counts of burglary and one count of organized retail theft, county records show.

They both posted bail  — $100,000 for Melaraurbina and $120,000 for Cabrera — in March.

The alleged assault against Cabrera’s toddler took place on March 22.

The Los Angeles Police Department, which is actively investigating the abuse incident, and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department could not comment on either case.

Cabrera’s arraignment in the abuse case is scheduled for Sept. 13 in Los Angeles Superior Court, and he has a preliminary hearing in the burglary case set for Sept. 22.