2-year-old boy's death investigated in Signal Hill

SIGNAL HILL, Calif. (KABC) -- Los Angeles County sheriff's homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 2-year-old boy in Signal Hill.

Police were called to an apartment unit on the 2300 block of Lewis Avenue around 5:44 a.m. Sunday regarding a "baby not breathing."

"That baby, yesterday, it looked like something was wrong with it, cause I finally said something about it," friend George Head said. "I was like, 'dang that baby knocked out, looks like the baby is dying.'"

Officers performed CPR on the child at the home. He was then taken to a hospital where he died.

"There are some indicators and some evidence that led Signal Hill police to contact the sheriff's department to resume this investigation," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Steve Jauch said.

Investigators will not release any information on the tip they received or evidence they found, only that it is too early to determine if the toddler's death is criminal in nature.

The boy reportedly lived at the home with his mother, her boyfriend, and other family members.

Neighbors say the police came to the home a few days ago to check on the welfare of the baby, but friends say they didn't suspect anything unusual, at least not until Saturday.

"The eyes was a little dark, that's what really ticked me off, the eyes was turning like brownish, like my color complexion, the baby was Mexican, but the eyes was all dark, I was like, 'dang it looks like the baby is dying,'" Head said.

The child's cause of death remains under investigation. An autopsy will determine how the boy died.

Anyone with information was asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.