Molestation Added To Grim Case Of Peninsula Toddler's Homicide

Murder and child molestation charges are being filed this morning against a Redwood City man in the death of a 17-month-old girl who had been left in his care, prosecutors said today.

Daniel Contreras, 27, is being charged with murder, felony child abuse resulting in the death of a child and multiple counts of performing lewd acts on a child, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said today.

Contreras is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in San Mateo County Superior Court this afternoon. Evelyn Castillo was found unconscious and unresponsive in an apartment in the 400 block of Madison Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Thursday after police and medics were called to the scene.

She was taken to Kaiser Permanente’s Redwood City Medical Center but died a short time later, according to police.

Contreras, who was dating Evelyn’s mother, had been caring for the toddler at the time of her death, according to prosecutors. He told authorities that the child fell accidentally from a table.

He was arrested early Saturday after an autopsy on Friday determined the death was a homicide.

Wagstaffe noted that several of the charges against Contreras carry the potential for life imprisonment or, in the case of the murder charge, the death penalty.

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--Bay City News

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