- Video shows three-year-old Alejandro Andreas Perez Jr., the child confirmed to have been killed at a home in Oildale on February 9, as well as the accused killer, and reports related to the investigation.
- The family of the three-year-old child killed in Oildale is speaking out about the death and the pain it's caused them, especially given the child was allegedly in a foster care home at the time of his death.
The family of three-year-old Alejandro Andreas Perez Jr. is mourning the loss of the young toddler, especially given the child was allegedly in a foster care home at the time of his death.
"He was one of the sweetest boys you'll ever meet, always full of life, friendly," said the child's grandfather Ed Walton III.
Walton and his daughter fought for nearly a year to get her children back, but on February 9, sheriff deputies arrived to tell them that his grandson would never come home.
"They told her that Andreas had been killed and they were investigating," Walton said.
According to the Kern County Sheriff's Office, earlier that morning deputies responded to a home in Oildale on El Tejon Avenue and found a three-year-old dead with signs of blunt force trauma.
Walton said that child was his grandson and alleges he was at a resource home with Department of Human Services.
"To me they are just as guilty," he said.
23ABC reached out to Kern County DHS about this incident — who responded with a redacted report from the California Department of Social Services, confirming a 3-year-old was killed on Feb. 9 at a foster care /out-of-home care residence but did not name the child or list the address.
According to the report, Child Welfare Services confirmed child neglect and abuse.
On Wednesday, KCSO confirmed the child killed in Oildale was Alejandro.
DHS said they are unable to comment further on the matter.
Walton said in March 2023, a former roommate allegedly broke into the home and tampered with their water heater, which resulted in one of his grandchildren being injured and both removed from the home.
"I mean how do you protect somebody when you have no idea somebody did something, sabotage or whatever," he said.
Walton said all this time, he'd been working to get the children back and was determined their family would one day be reunited.
"If it comes to that, [they] are going to come looking for you and they're going to want to see that you never gave up and that you're still here and you're doing good and waiting for them," he said. "Now that'll never happen."
On February 16, 32-year-old Margaret Eichhorst was arrested for the child's death. Eichhorst pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter and felony child endangerment. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 7.
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