Arrest made in death of Thermal 2-year old

A Thermal man suspected in the beating death of a 2-year- old boy was found near the border in Calexico this weekend and arrested, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

Deputies received a call May 17 about a medical aid involving young Jorge Lizarraga in the 88000 block of Airport Boulevard in Thermal. The toddler was taken a hospital where he later died of blunt force trauma.

Sheriff’s detectives received a lead at 2 a.m. today that the “person of interest” in the case, Daniel Valenzuela, 24, was somewhere near the border crossing in Calexico, Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Buompensiero said.

Valenzuela was questioned and later arrested in connection with the boy’s death. No other details were released about the case.