A man was arrested Tuesday morning and accused of killing his girlfriend's 8-month-old baby boy.
On January 2, 2017 at about 11:30 p.m., Kern County sheriff’s deputies from the Tehachapi Substation were sent to assist the Tehachapi Police Department at an apartment in the 600 block of Cherry Lane for a homicide investigation.
Deputies said they found an 8-month-old baby boy dead at the home. The Tehachapi Police Department requested the Kern County Sheriff's Office take over the investigation, and Sheriff's Office homicide detectives responded and conducted the investigation.
During the investigation, it was determined the baby was left in the care of 20-year-old Tobin Phillips while the baby's mother went to work. Phillips is currently dating the baby's mother but is not the baby's biological father.
While Phillips was watching the baby, the baby received injuries which caused the baby’s death.
Phillips fled the home prior to the arrival of deputies, but was located approximately 2 hours later and arrested at the Fastrip in Tehachapi.
Phillips was interviewed by detectives, who developed probable cause to arrest Phillips for murder and willful cruelty to a child causing death. Phillips was booked into the Central Receiving Facility. The identity of the child, along with the cause and manner of death, will be released by the Coroner's Office at a later time.
