5-Week-Old Girl Dies In SWR, Dad Accused Of Homicide

MENIFEE, CA — A Menifee baby girl is dead and both her parents are now accused in connection to the tragic situation. Police accuse her dad of killing her and her mom of child endangerment.

The girl, whose name was not released, died back on Jan. 26 after her parents rushed her to the hospital, according to Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Wallace Clear.

"The infant was declared deceased after medical staff were unable to resuscitate her," Clear said in a news release.

Following the girl's death, sheriff's investigators started to suspect it was a homicide.

"Evidence surfaced in the following days that lead Menifee investigators to believe foul play was involved in the infant’s death and the Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation," Clear said.

Both parents were ultimately arrested after several weeks of the investigation.

On Monday, the girl's biological father, identified as 33-year-old Gregory Brandt, was arrested on suspicion of homicide. Her biological mother, 27-year-old Jasmine Rugga, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment. Both were taken to the French Valley jail, according to police.

As of Thursday, Brandt had been transported to the Blythe jail where he was being held on $1 million bail. Rugga was released the same day of her arrest after posting $35,000 bail, records showed.

Additional details related to how the baby may have died were not released.

Police asked that if anyone has information related to the case, to call Investigator Salisbury at the Menifee Police Department at (951) 210-1000, or Investigator Trudeau at the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777.