FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno Police arrest the two guardians of an 8-year-old boy, who they say beat the child to death.
On Saturday, police say they were called out to the 4600 block of E. Belgravia Ave. at 4:00 a.m. regarding an unresponsive child.
Officers and medical personnel arrived on the scene and found the child in a bedroom who was not breathing and was unresponsive.
Medical personal tried to revive the boy, later identified as 8-year-old Jaeluv Smith of Fresno.
Jaeluv was pronounced dead at the scene.
Because there were no known medical conditions for the child, homicide detectives were called to the scene.
The 8-year-old lived at the residence with his 10-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister.
A forensic exam by the county coroner determined the boy’s death to be a homicide, caused by blunt force trauma.
After an investigation, on April 20, 2021 members of the Street Violence Bureau – Tactical Team located and arrested both 49-year-old Patrick Johnson, the boy’s guardian, and his wife, 47-year-old Crystal Johnson, on Tuesday.
Police say Patrick Johnson was booked into the Fresno County Jail on the charge of murder.
Crystal Johnson was arrested for Felony Child Abuse, and bailed out of jail.
This is Fresno’s 26th murder of 2021.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
