TEEN FACES LIFE AFTER GUILTY PLEA.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

MOJAVE - A Mojave teenager faces 15 years to life in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 2 1/2-month-old daughter.

Kyle Lawson, 18, was accused of beating to death Katelynn Gonzalez in May while he was baby-sitting her in the mother's absence.

``The child died from massive head injuries that included multiple skull fractures and associated bruising,'' Kern County Deputy District Attorney Scott Spielman said.

Lawson entered his plea in Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield prior to the start of a preliminary hearing. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors will drop two other charges, including one count of child abuse resulting in death that carried a term of 25 years to life in prison.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 23.

Lawson was arrested after an autopsy indicated the baby died May 6 after her skull was fractured into fragments in several areas - consistent with a beating, officials said.

Lawson told authorities that the baby dropped from his hands to the floor, sheriff's deputies said.

Fire department rescue crews were called to the mother's apartment in the 2800 block of Oak Creek Road about 10:30 a.m. 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, deputies 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, deputies 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.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com