MAN GUILTY OF MURDER IN BOY'S SHAKING DEATH 17-MONTH-OLD SUFFERED INJURIES OVER LIFETIME.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

A Lancaster man was convicted Friday of second-degree murder in the June 2003 death of his girlfriend's 17-month-old son, who authorities said died from being shaken violently.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated less than two days before finding 22-year-old Carlos Arellano guilty of second-degree murder, child abuse and inflicting injury on a child causing death.

Arellano is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.

Arellano was arrested on June 17, four days after the death of toddler Jonny Garcia at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, investigators said. The fatal incident occurred on June 12, but the boy did not die until the next day, investigators said.

An autopsy showed the toddler had suffered 37 rib fractures over his lifetime as well as a lacerated liver three days before his death, prosecutors said.

The boy was fatally injured during a visit to Arellano's mother in Rosamond, officials said.

At some point the toddler's mother and Arellano's mother went out. When the boy's mother returned, Arellano was holding the toddler, who was unconscious and not breathing, prosecutors said.

Authorities said Arellano initially claimed that the toddler went limp when picked up. They said Arellano next told them he dropped the child accidentally.

Family members later said the toddler choked ater eating an apple, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Arellano admitted after being arrested that he shook the toddler because he was angry that his girlfriend wasn't home and the tot was standing on the front porch and crying.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com