Homicide detectives in Long Beach have begun investigating the death of a 2-year-old boy that officials originally thought was caused by a medical emergency but is now being treated as a murder.

More than six months ago, paramedics rushed the boy to the hospital after they were called to the parking lot of a liquor store on Daisy Avenue near Ninth Street on the evening of June 14, police said.

Two days later, the boy died.

“The incident was originally investigated as a medical emergency; however, the recent release of the autopsy report determined the cause of death to be intentional blunt force trauma to the head, and the death is now being investigated as a murder,” Long Beach police said in a news release today.

Earlier this month, police put up fliers around the liquor store asking for help. Photo by Jeremiah Dobruck.

Depending on the circumstances, it can take months for coroner’s officials to determine a cause of death in some cases, police said.

With the final determination from the coroner, detectives now think the boy may have been hurt by someone inside a silver 2016 Hyundai Sonata parked in the lot outside Big John’s Liquor on Daisy Avenue. But he also may have been injured inside his home, which is on the same block, police said.

Police haven’t been able to find the Sonata. Friday, they sent out a picture of a similar car and asked anyone who may know where it is to contact detectives. On Jan. 10, officers posted fliers at Big John’s Liquor and a nearby laundromat asking for help.

Police think a car similar to this one may be tied to a 2-year-old's death in Long Beach. Photo courtesy LBPD.
Police think a car similar to this one may be tied to a 2-year-old’s death in Long Beach. Photo courtesy LBPD.

Authorities do not have anyone in custody, according to LBPD spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria. Detectives are looking for a single suspect they believe knew the child, Chavarria said.

To safeguard the investigation, police said they couldn’t release any more details—not even the boy’s name.

“Detectives have reviewed hours of surveillance video and know there are several witnesses who have yet to come forward, nor have they been identified,” police said in a news release.

They urged anyone who knows where the car is or who may have seen something useful to call Detectives Benjamin Vargas, Mark Mattia or Donald Collier at 562-570-7244.

Anyone who wants to remain anonymous can submit a tip through Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS or visiting LACrimeStoppers.org.

Jeremiah Dobruck is managing editor of the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @jeremiahdobruck on Twitter.