TEEN ACCUSED OF KILLING BABY IS CHARGED IN ADULT COURT MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA CAUSED DEATH, PROSECUTOR SAYS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A 1-year-old boy who died after being under the care of his young mother's 17-year-old boyfriend suffered fractured ribs, a lacerated liver and other internal injuries, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Though he is a juvenile, 17-year-old Rondel Myers of Lake Los Angeles was charged in adult court with murdering Demajae Davis. Myers was charged under Proposition 21, passed by California voters in 2000, which requires that minors accused of murder be tried in adult court.

``Something obviously occurred to set him off to cause some of these severe injuries,'' Deputy District Attorney Greg Denton said Tuesday.

Myers' arraignment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in Lancaster Superior Court was postponed until Nov. 6. He was being held without bail.

An autopsy concluded the cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma delivered within hours of the baby's death Friday in Antelope Valley Hospital, Denton said.

Myers is charged with murder, felony child abuse and child abuse resulting in death. If convicted, the teen faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

Myers had been living at the home of his 18-year-old girlfriend's family in in Lake Los Angeles. He was baby-sitting the infant, who had his first birthday Oct. 10, and a 4-year-old boy Friday while their mother was away at school and other adults were out of the house, Denton said.

Myers is not the boys' father, Denton said. Denton said Myers is unemployed and not going to school.

Myers called authorities to the home about 1:45 p.m. and said the child was not breathing. When deputies arrived, they found the baby inside a crib, not breathing and without a pulse, Denton said.

``They started CPR until the paramedics arrived. The baby was flown to Antelope Valley Hospital and shortly thereafter declared dead,'' Denton said.

Myers had told deputies that he left the child in the bathtub for a short time, and when he returned the baby was not breathing, deputies said.

Deputies found vomit inside the crib, Denton said.

``There are some severe injuries to the child, including internal injuries that resulted in a lacerated liver, lacerated intestinal organs, fractured ribs and multiple traumatic injuries, which resulted in internal bleeding and death of the child,'' Denton said.