On June 7, 2026, at approximately 12:14 a.m., deputies from the San Benito County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a baby not breathing at 107 The Alameda in San Juan Bautista. Upon arrival, they discovered a 34-year-old woman who reported that her boyfriend, Adrian Lujan, had woken her by attempting to strangle her.
She managed to fight him off, and he fled the apartment in a Ford Fusion. A 4-year-old child was present during the attack.
The woman then realized her 2-year-old son was missing from the bed and found him on the couch, blue and unresponsive. Medics and deputies initiated CPR, and the child was transported to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Evidence indicated the child had been strangled. A manhunt ensued, and with the assistance of FLOCK cameras, officers and deputies in Merced County located Lujan, pursued him, and arrested him after a physical struggle.
He was returned to San Benito County, where detectives obtained a confession for the murder of his child. The motive remains unknown.
The San Benito County Sheriff's Office thanked the San Benito County District Attorney's Office, Merced County partners, and the California Highway Patrol for their assistance. The community mourns the loss of the child, and authorities are committed to seeking justice for him and his family.