SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Two people were arrested Wednesday for the murder of their 16-month-old son in Nov. 2024, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Police say Jamar and Helena Branch were arrested for the murder of their son, Benjamin Branch, a 16-month-old who died last year.
On Nov. 6, 2024, police responded to a call from the mother reporting the child was unresponsive and not breathing. Benjamin was taken to Pomerado Hospital in Poway, where he died.
Police say during the investigation, they determined that Benjamin was severely underweight, appeared malnourished, and may have been the victim of criminal neglect.
The SDPD Homicide Unit, with the Medical Examiner’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and Rady Children’s Hospital, determined Benjamin had been a victim of severe neglect, which caused his death.
Investigators believe Jamar and Helena, Benjamin’s mother and father, were responsible, and the pair were arrested at the San Diego County District Attorney’s Juvenile Office.
Police are asking anybody with information to contact the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
