POLICE THINK TEEN BEAT BABY MOM'S BOYFRIEND ARRESTED.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

MOJAVE - A Mojave teen has been arrested on suspicion of beating to death his girlfriend's infant daughter while he was baby-sitting her in the mother's absence, Kern County sheriff's investigators said.

Kyle Lawson, 18, was arrested on suspicion of killing 2 1/2-month-old Katelynn Gonzalez, who an autopsy indicated died Tuesday after her skull was fractured into fragments in several areas - consistent with a beating, officials said.

``We know that his original statement was that the baby dropped from his hands to the floor,'' said Sgt. Chevy Garza of the Kern County Sheriff's Department.

Arrested on suspicion of murder, Lawson was being held in a Kern County jail in Bakersfield in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Fire department rescue crews were called to the mother's apartment in the 2800 block of Oak Creek Road about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on a report of a baby not breathing after having been dropped.

When they arrived, crews found Katelynn unconscious with severe head trauma. Crews tried to revive the baby and rushed her to Antelope Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead just before 4:30 p.m. that same day.

Homicide and sexual assault investigators were sent to the apartment to question Lawson. He told them that Katelynn's mother, Jessica Gonzalez, 19, had gone to pick up baby formula and had left the infant and a 2-year-old girl in his care, Garza said.

Lawson said that he had accidentally dropped the baby, deputies said.

Neither of the two children were Lawson's. Lawson was living with his girlfriend and her children, Garza said.

Investigators returned to speak with Lawson after the autopsy, then arrested him on suspicion of murder.

Officials said Jessica Gonzalez was devastated by the baby's death.