BAIL SET FOR DAD, MOM BOTH CHARGED IN BOY'S DEATH.

Byline: Staff and Wire Services

LOS ANGELES - Charges of murder, child abuse and assault on a child causing death were filed Monday against the parents of a Lancaster toddler found dead in a duffel bag in the back of his father's van.

The charges allege that 22-month-old Isaac Lopez was killed April 21, two days before his father and the body were found in the van parked near a park in the San Gabriel Valley.

Anthony Bill Lopez, 35, and Sylvia Torres Rolon, 40, were due in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday afternoon to hear the charges against them. Bail for each was recommended at $1 million.

If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Authorities say Isaac was killed at Rolon's Lancaster condominium and remained there about a day before being taken away by his father in his van. Anthony Lopez drove to Bassett, an unincorporated community near La Puente, to visit a friend, who was told by Lopez that his son had died by choking on a toy. The friend called authorities after Lopez drove away.

Anthony Lopez was found sitting in the van, his son's body inside, Wednesday afternoon by a sheriff's deputy who recognized its description from a countywide alert.

Lopez was booked into jail early Thursday on suspicion of murder. Detectives later concluded that the boy had been killed at his mother's home, which they searched Friday. She was arrested Saturday.

Coroner's officials have not concluded how the boy died, saying they want to do toxicology tests.

Homicide Lt. Ray Peevy declined to comment Monday on what role investigators believe each parent played in Isaac's death

Rolon's six other children, ages 4 months to 13 years, were taken into protective custody, according to authorities. Her four eldest children were from other relationships, with the youngest three, including Isaac, from a relationship with Lopez.

Lopez had been living in Des Moines, Iowa, but returned earlier this month to Lancaster, authorities said.

A neighbor at the condominium complex said the family was noisy, and that the children often were outside and seemed unsupervised before Anthony Lopez arrived this month to live with the family.

Helen Garcia, who was the boy's foster mother for about seven months, told KABC (Channel 7) last week that she had hoped to adopt Isaac but was forced to return him to his mother in January.

``He used to call me 'Mom,''' she said. ``This is very sad. I thought (the report of the boy's death) was just a nightmare and it just wasn't true.''

Garcia declined to say why Isaac had been put in her care. She told Channel 7 that the child's six siblings had all been in foster care at one time or another.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Anthony Bill Lopez, 35, above, is charged in the death of son Isaac Lopez, 22 months, top.