Suspicious death of 10-year-old boy in Lancaster raises new questions

LANCASTER, Calif. (KABC) -- As a Lancaster community mourns the loss of 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, the investigation into his suspicious death grows more ominous.

Seven other children in the home where he reportedly fell to his death are now in protective custody.

Deputies first responded to the apartment in the 1100 block of East Avenue K around 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, where they found the boy unresponsive and with head injuries. Although the boy survived the night, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

RELATED: Lancaster boy, 10, dies following "suspicious" fall

There was no answer at the family apartment when ABC7's Sid Garcia knocked on the door Friday morning.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, those seven other children were living in the apartment. It's not sure who they belong to, but all of them are in protective custody as they investigate what happened to Anthony.

Thursday night, dozens gathered at the entrance to the apartment complex where the boy lived.

He was a fourth-grader, and one of the health workers at his school, Danielle Thompson, talked about how affectionate Anthony was.

"He was a loving child, he had the heart of gold. He was just amazing, a very, very amazing little boy," she said.

Doctors who worked on Anthony notified investigators that his injuries needed further investigation.

No arrests have been made in his death. According to investigators, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done in the case.