Peninsula Man Arrested for Murder of Girlfriend's Toddler: Police

EAST PALO ALTO, CA – A 2-year-old girl who died last month in East Palo Alto, allegedly at the hands of her mother's boyfriend, suffered blunt force trauma injuries, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The incident occurred on Nov. 27 when emergency crews responded to a report of a toddler who was in distress and having trouble breathing at an apartment at 320 E. O'Keefe St., police said.

The girl was taken to a hospital where she died a short while later. Her name has not yet been released.

Because the girl's injuries were not immediately apparent and she had no known medical history, investigators treated the death as suspicious, according to police.

After an autopsy revealed evidence of foul play, officers identified the alleged culprit as Adair Jeru Enriquez Zevallos, the live-in boyfriend of the girl's mother. He was arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of
murder, police said.

Zevallos appeared in San Mateo County Superior Court today for his initial arraignment, where he was charged with murder and assault on a child causing death. He remains in custody with no bail set, according to Wagstaffe.

Zevallos is set to appear in court again on Dec. 13, when he's expected to enter a plea, Wagstaffe said.

- Bay City News / Image via Shutterstock