Adrian Lujan pleaded not guilty to allegations covering a toddler’s death and the attempted killing of the child’s mother.
HOLLISTER, Calif. — A California father accused of strangling his 2-year-old son and attacking the boy’s mother faces five felony charges that present separate legal accounts of the violence investigators say unfolded inside a San Juan Bautista apartment.
Adrian Joseph Lujan, 33, pleaded not guilty June 10 to murder, attempted murder and three additional felony allegations. He remains in the San Benito County Jail without bail. The complaint places the child’s death, the alleged attack on Lujan’s girlfriend and the family relationship at the center of the prosecution. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 23, when a preliminary hearing date is expected to be set.
The most serious count accuses Lujan of murder in the death of his 2-year-old son. Deputies responding to 107 The Alameda at 12:14 a.m. June 7 found emergency workers trying to save the boy after his mother discovered him unconscious on a couch. He had a bluish complexion and was not breathing, officials said. Medics and deputies performed CPR before the child was transported to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Doctors later pronounced him dead. The sheriff’s office said physical evidence indicated the toddler had been strangled. Prosecutors have not publicly specified the degree of murder they intend to pursue, disclosed the complete autopsy findings or identified the boy. A murder conviction would require proof that Lujan unlawfully caused the death with the mental state required under California law.
A second count alleges attempted murder of Lujan’s 34-year-old girlfriend. Investigators said she was asleep when she awoke to Lujan attempting to strangle her. She resisted and was able to fight him off, after which he left in a Ford Fusion. Attempted murder generally requires prosecutors to establish both an intent to kill and a direct but unsuccessful step toward committing the killing. Sheriff Eric Taylor said investigators believe Lujan intended to kill his entire family and was interrupted by the woman’s resistance. Taylor said that belief came from statements attributed to Lujan. The complete interview has not been released, and the defense has not publicly responded to the sheriff’s description of it.
The third major allegation charges assault on a child under circumstances causing death. That count focuses on the age of the victim and the act alleged to have caused the fatal injury. It gives prosecutors a theory distinct from the general murder charge, even though both arise from the same death. The government may charge different offenses based on a single event while the case is pending, subject to later court rulings and sentencing limits. Court records reported by local media do not describe which evidence supports each element beyond the sheriff’s statement that signs on the child were consistent with strangulation. Prosecutors may later introduce medical testimony to explain the injuries, the likely cause of death and the time at which the child was attacked.
Two additional counts concern violence within the couple’s relationship. They allege inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and spousal abuse causing injury. Lujan and the woman were described as boyfriend and girlfriend who lived in the apartment. Those charges allow prosecutors to address alleged physical harm within an intimate relationship separately from the claimed intent to kill. Officials have not described the woman’s injuries, said whether she was hospitalized or released photographs or medical records. Her testimony may establish how she awoke, how Lujan allegedly held her, what she did to escape and what happened immediately afterward. Defense attorneys will be able to question her account and compare it with physical evidence and recordings of her 911 call.
The five-count complaint emerged from an investigation that began as an emergency medical call rather than a reported homicide. The woman called 911 after the alleged attacker had left and after she found her son away from his bed. Deputies arrived expecting a child who was not breathing. They soon learned about the attack on the woman and the departure of a possible suspect. That shift required officers to protect the apartment as a potential crime scene while medics worked on the boy and other agencies searched for the Ford Fusion. A 4-year-old child was also inside the home and was not physically injured. Authorities have withheld details about that child to protect the minor’s privacy.
Taylor initially said child endangerment charges also could arise because of what the 4-year-old witnessed. The five charges later reported by the court did not include a count publicly labeled as child endangerment. Prosecutors can amend complaints when evidence or legal decisions change, although they have not announced plans to add another allegation. The older child’s presence may still be introduced as part of the circumstances surrounding the crimes. Investigators have not said whether the child saw the toddler being attacked, witnessed only the assault on the woman or was elsewhere in the apartment for part of the night. Those distinctions could affect how the child appears in the case.
After leaving San Juan Bautista, Lujan was tracked toward Merced County with help from Flock automated license plate reader cameras, the sheriff’s office said. Officers and deputies located the Ford, pursued Lujan and took him into custody after a physical encounter. Officials have not disclosed whether he was arrested inside or outside the vehicle, whether force was used or whether any weapons were recovered. He was taken to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for a physical and mental evaluation before being booked June 8. His medical condition and the reason for the evaluation have not been made public.
Detectives said Lujan confessed after he was transported back to San Benito County. That statement could become a major part of the prosecution, but it will not automatically settle the case. Defense attorneys may seek to exclude it by questioning the circumstances of the interview, including whether Lujan understood his rights and spoke voluntarily. Prosecutors may respond with recordings and testimony from the detectives who conducted the questioning. The court also could examine whether his hospital evaluation had any bearing on his ability to participate. No ruling about the alleged confession has been reported, and the sheriff’s summary remains the only public description of its substance.
The prosecution has not announced a motive. Taylor said detectives were still trying to determine why Lujan allegedly attacked the family. Motive is not always a required element of a criminal charge, but it can help jurors understand why an event occurred and evaluate competing accounts. Investigators may examine phone records, messages, financial information, relationship history and statements from people who knew the household. Officials have not said whether there had been prior calls for service at the apartment or whether Lujan had made threats before June 7. No publicly reported court filing has established a history of violence involving the couple.
The upcoming preliminary hearing process will test the prosecution’s evidence for the first time in an extended court proceeding. At that stage, prosecutors do not have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. They must present enough evidence for a judge to find probable cause that crimes occurred and that Lujan committed them. Investigators may testify about the scene, the mother’s statements, the medical evidence and the Merced County arrest. Some evidence may be presented through officers rather than directly through every witness. If the judge upholds the charges, Lujan would be ordered to answer to them in superior court and the case would move toward further motions or trial.
The legal theories may overlap, but each charge serves a different purpose. The murder count addresses the unlawful killing. The child assault count emphasizes the victim’s age and the fatal physical act. Attempted murder addresses the alleged intent behind the attack on the woman. The domestic violence charges address injury within a cohabiting relationship. Prosecutors must prove the required parts of each offense, while the defense may challenge whether some counts duplicate others or lack sufficient evidence. Any sentence would depend on the offenses of conviction, judicial findings and California sentencing rules. No sentence is possible unless Lujan is convicted or enters a guilty plea.
Outside the courthouse, San Juan Bautista residents have been left with limited information about the child and his surviving family. The sheriff’s office said it mourned the “peaceful child” and promised to pursue justice. The County Board of Supervisors planned a moment of silence June 9. The city, known for Mission San Juan Bautista and its small population, rarely becomes the setting for a case involving allegations of multiple attempted family killings. Authorities have protected the names of the mother and both children, keeping the public record focused on the defendant, the emergency response and the charges.
The July 23 appearance will not determine guilt. It is expected to establish the schedule for the probable cause hearing and may address evidence-sharing, representation and other procedural issues. An autopsy report, recordings of the emergency call and video or digital records could become available to the attorneys before that hearing. The court has not announced a trial date, and officials have not reported any plea negotiations. Until evidence is presented and tested, the complaint remains a set of allegations that Lujan denies.
The case is due back in court July 23, when the judge is expected to set the next evidentiary milestone.
Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.