Desert Hot Springs man accused of killing his 9-month-old son

A nine-month-old boy was injured so severely by his own father that he died days after the assault, police in Desert Hot Springs tell News Channel 3.

Now the baby's mother is left grieving and making funeral arrangements, after the death of her infant, Miguel Julius Lucero Martinez.

24-year-old Miguel Jeronemo Martinez Fernandez, the baby's father, is now facing a murder charge.

According to charging documents obtained by News Channel 3, prosecutors say Fernandez, "Shook and threw a helpless nine-month-old baby with such violence that the baby was immediately symptomatic and became comatose."

Emergency crews rushed to a home on First Street, after receiving a call for an unresponsive baby on May 18.

The detective on the case tells News Channel 3 that neighbors tried frantically to revive the baby with CPR. When police arrived on the scene, they took over.

Police assisted with CPR until Cal Fire arrived. They took the baby to Desert Regional.

Shortly after, "The child was airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center, and the child subsequently passed away a couple of days after on the 21st," says Chris Saucier, Detective Sergeant.

After the child died, detectives took the baby's father into custody.

"We did the investigation and made the arrest in essentially child abuse charges. And then once the child passed away, it was upgraded to a murder arrest," said Saucier.

Detectives are still waiting for autopsy results which will determine the specific cause of death.

Prior to this arrest, Fernandez was on probation for a domestic violence charge.

Fernandez is now at the Riverside County Jail in Indio on a bail of $1,000,000.

To find more information on the gofundme page set up by the baby's mother, Elena Lucero you can click here.