Man charged with murder after 21-month-old child dies following Chester Co. assault

A 30-year-old West Grove man has been arrested and charged with murder following the death of a 21-month-old child in Kennett Township.

According to Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe, Chester County District Attorney, Enrique Lopez-Gomez has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of the boy who died in Kennett Township on Monday.

During a meeting with members of the press on Thursday, de Barrena-Sarobe said that police are still investigating the incident, but they believe that at some point on Monday, Lopez-Gomez struck the child causing an injury to the boy's abdomen that led to his death.

"Mr. Gomez-Lopez struck that child in the abdomen at least once, causing significant injuries to that child and did not get medical care for that child," he said.

He was pronounced at a nearby hospital at about 12:16 a.m., officials said.

He said that police believe the incident happened at a home in West Grove and the child was taken to another home in Kennett Township before first responders were contacted.

Officials said that first responders were contacted at about 10:58 p.m. on Monday, to a home along the 600 block of Cope Road in Kennett Township, are were met with the child's mother who handed medical professionals the boy's body, wrapped in a blanket.

According to de Barrena-Sarobe, police are still determining when the child was struck, but the boy had no pulse by the time first responders arrived at the scene.

"Hours lapsed before any kind of medical attention was called," he said.

Lopez-Gomez has been charged with murder and related offenses in this incident. He is currently in police custody on $10 million bail, de Barrena-Sarobe said.

When asked if others could be charged in this case, de Barrena-Sarobe said that an investigation is ongoing although Lopez-Gomez is the only one currently charged in this incident.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.