Woman arrested in Westminster after death of 4-month-old baby

WESTMINSTER, Calif. (KABC) -- A 29-year-old woman in Westminster is under arrest in connection with the homicide of a 4-month-old baby.

Shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday, Westminster police responded to a home in the 15000 block of Coronado Street, where a father reported that his girlfriend was acting strangely, and their baby boy was unresponsive and not breathing.

"I came in and said, 'What's going on?'" the distraught father, Hung Nguyen, told ABC7. "And she said, 'Go!' I came to get on the bed so I could touch my child. I see some marks ... and my son he can't move."

Officers attempted to revive the infant but were unsuccessful, authorities said. The child was transported to a local hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

Based on evidence at the scene, Thi Nhat Ha Nguyen was arrested for homicide, according to Westminster police.

"Officers also found the mother inside the house with the child and noted the child had some traumatic injuries," said Commander Cameron Knauerhaze of Westminster police.

It was unclear what kind of injuries the infant sustained or what led to them. Police said it's too early to know if postpartum depression may have been a factor.

"That's always a factor and consideration when you find a young mother and a young child. Certainly our investigators will evaluate that," Knauerhaze said.

They added that the woman and her boyfriend have no other children and were apparently renting a room inside the house.

"She loved him a lot," Hung Nguyen said of his girlfriend and their son. "I don't think she did that. But who else?"

Those who also rented rooms in the home said they didn't see the couple much and didn't hear the baby cry.

"Everybody over there, different families living there but they all seem to be kind and respectful and so forth," neighbor Gary Hart said

Investigators said the incident appears to be isolated and are not looking for any other suspects.

The incident remained under investigation by the Westminster Police Department Crimes Against Persons unit.

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