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A six-year-old boy was found fatally stabbed early this morning in the Florence-Firestone area of South L.A.
L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. deputies arrived at the 1600 block of East 88th Street just after midnight after they received a call that there was a person "screaming incoherently," according to KTLA. They found a man, who they believe to be the boy's father, covered in what appeared to be blood and standing in the front yard of the home.
After the deputies questioned the man, they investigated a trailer in the backyard, where they found the boy suffering from multiple stab wounds. They attempted CPR on the boy, and then an ambulance took him to St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, where he was pronounced dead.
KTTV reported that authorities are questioning the 38-year-old man now, and do not know at this moment where the boy's mother is.
Update 4:15 p.m.: Deputies have arrested 38-year-old Alejandro Sanchez, who they've identified as the boy's father, on suspicion of murder, according to KTLA.
Neighbors told CBS Los Angeles that Sanchez has a history of drug and alcohol abuse. They also suspected that the boy was abused:
“A burn on one of his legs and he would say he was scared to be with his dad,” Grizelle Ibarra said. “Yesterday he mentioned he didn’t want to go home because he was scared his dad was going to hit him.”
Authorities found several knives at the scene; though, it isn't clear if they were used in the stabbing. LASD Lt. Eddie Hernandez told the L.A. Register that they found the boy on his back on a small makeshift bed in the trailer.
Sanchez is being held on $1 million bail.
