San Benito County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Man on Murder Charges Following Death of Child
SAN BENITO, CA – On June 7, 2026, at approximately 12:14 a.m., deputies from the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a child not breathing at 107 The Alameda in the City of San Juan Bautista.
Upon arrival, deputies learned that a 34-year-old female resident had woken up to her boyfriend, identified as Adrian Lujan, attempting to strangle her. A 4-year-old child was present in the room during the encounter. The female reported that she was able to fight Lujan off, after which he fled the apartment in a Ford Fusion.
Courtesy of San Benito Sheriff
The female subsequently located her 2-year-old son on a couch outside her bedroom. The child appeared blue and unconscious. Medics and deputies arrived at the scene and initiated CPR. The child was transported to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. According to authorities, evidence on the child supported that he had been strangled to death.
Law enforcement initiated a search for Lujan. Utilizing Flock Safety cameras, officers and deputies in Merced County located Lujan, engaged in a pursuit, and took him into custody following a physical encounter.
Lujan was returned to San Benito County, where detectives obtained a confession from him regarding the murder of the child. A motive for the incident has not yet been established.
The San Benito County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the assistance of the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office, Merced County law enforcement agencies, and the California Highway Patrol in the investigation and arrest.
