Arraignment moved for La Quinta couple charged with killing 2-year-old

Arraignment was rescheduled today to March 22 for aman and his wife, who are charged with murder in connection with the death ofhis 2-year-old son in La Quinta.

Derrick Allen Brown, 47, and Patricia Ann Brown, 48, were arrestedMonday in the 48600 block of Camino Maya in Coachella on murder warrantsstemming from an investigation into the death of Deetrick Brown on Jan. 16,2003, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The warrants were issued and charges filed last month.

The Browns, who are being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center inRiverside in lieu of $1 million bail each, were scheduled to be arraignedthis afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice. But the arraignment was pushedback to March 22, when a judge will also consider sending the case to theCoachella Valley, according to court records.

The Browns were initially arrested in connection with the toddler’sdeath in June 2003 when authorities served a search warrant at their home inthe 51000 block of Avenida Velasco in La Quinta.

The Browns were both charged with murder, but a judge ruled at apreliminary hearing in October 2003 that there wasn’t enough evidence for themto stand trial, according to John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “The sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit and our office took a new, closer

look at the case and we now believe there is enough evidence to file the murdercharge against both defendants,” said Hall, who declined to elaborate furtheron his office’s review of the case.

The tot died at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital about two months shy ofhis third birthday. He had suffered a seizure at his home the day before hedied of “acute and chronic abusive head trauma,” according to a declarationprepared in support of an arrest warrant.

The toddler suffered several seizures between November 2002 and January2003, and medical personnel noted that in past examinations he was malnourishedand had bruises and an “inflicted” burn on his hand, according to thedeclaration.

“Each time Deetrick suffered an injury and/or seizure, including thefatal injury, 2-year-old Deetrick was in the physical care of Patricia and/orDerrick Brown,” the document stated.

Deetrick, who was Derrick Brown’s child with a girlfriend, didn’t have apre-existing medical condition or injuries from an accident, according to thedeclaration.