California Couple Charged With 5-Week-Old Baby's Murder

A California couple is facing murder charges in connection with the brutal death of their 5-week-old baby last week.

Ray Ray Darn, 35, and Marilyn Northington, 28, were arrested on Feb. 4 after the police got a call from the Courtyard Marriott at 3150 Garrity Way at 6:30 p.m. about a couple rushing to the hospital with an unresponsive baby, reported NBC Bay Area.

They received another phone call at 6:55 p.m. from the emergency room of the Kaiser Richmond Medical Center, where the couple had taken the baby, about an infant with severe abuse injuries. The baby boy was soon declared dead.

An autopsy conducted by the Coroner's Office revealed that the infant had suffered multiple injuries, including a broken right femur, facial scarring, dehydration and malnourishment, bruising on the top of his right thigh, thermal burns on his nose and right cheek and thermal burns on his lower body.

Through an internal examination, it was found that the infant also had internal injuries, such as seven rib fractures, bleeding inside his skull and skull fracture.

Darn and Nothington have been charged with felony child abuse and felony assault on a child causing death, along with an enhancement tied to the child abuse charge against them for willful harm causing injury or death.

"A search warrant later executed by the Richmond Police Department found drug paraphernalia in the hotel room, including a meth pipe and two butane lighters," the District Attorney's Office said.

Darn and Nothington are being held on bail of $2.2 million each. If convicted, the two could face life in prison, said a report from San Francisco Chronicle.

The couple has two other kids who have already been placed in the care of Child Protective Service.

In a similar incident, a teenage father was arrested in Wisconsin after shooting a newborn baby and leaving the infant's body in the woods. The 16-year-old was charged with first-degree murder.