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San Juan Bautista resident Adrian Lujan was arrested in connection with the suspected murder of his two-year-old son on June 7, the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
As of June 9, Lujan had not been charged, according to the San Benito County Superior Court’s system.
The release states Lujan confessed to the murder of the child but that law enforcement don’t know the motive.
“We mourn the loss of this peaceful child and will pursue justice for him and his family,” the Sheriff’s Office said in the release.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors was set to hold a moment of silence for the child and his surviving family during its June 9 meeting.
Sheriff Eric Taylor said Lujan was first taken to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for physical and mental evaluation before being taken into custody on June 8.
According to the release, deputies were dispatched to 107 The Alameda at 12:14 a.m. in response to a report of a baby not breathing.
Upon arrival, they learned a 34-year-old female was woken up by Lujan, her boyfriend, attempting to strangle her and he later fled after she was able to “fight him off,” the release said.
The Sheriff’s Office said a four-year-old child was present at the time of the attack and that the mom found the two-year-old on a couch outside her room with a bluish color and appearing to be unconscious.
The release said medics initiated CPR on the younger child, who was later transported to Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“Evidence on the child would tend to support he had been strangled to death,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Lujan was located in Merced County with the use of FLOCK cameras with automatic license plate reader technology and was arrested by Merced law enforcement after a physical encounter.
According to the release, Lujan confessed to the murder to San Benito County Deputies after he returned to the county.
In a town of slightly more than 2,000 residents that is known for its historic mission and serene atmosphere, this is the second case leaving the community in shock after resident David Souza went missing in August 2025.
Taylor said investigators are still following leads into his disappearance and that although his office has “every hope that he is safe and healthy” there is no indication that he is alive.
“[The] last [lead] didn’t turn anything up,” he said.
Investigators previously said they were treating Souza’s disappearance as “more than a missing person case” because of the suspicious circumstances such as his dogs and business left unattended, and all of his vehicles also being left behind.
Souza was last heard from on July 25 last year, according to investigators.
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