Fort Worth police investigating suspicious death of Lubbock toddler

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a 1-year-old Lubbock boy who died while visiting his father in Fort Worth.

Jayden Ledesma was pronounced dead at Cook Children's Medical Center at 12:44 p.m. Tuesday, two days after being admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.

Sgt. Rachel DeHoyos, supervisor of Fort Worth's Crimes Against Children unit, said the child's father had called 911 Sunday afternoon after the boy had been exhibiting unusual symptoms while at a mobile home park in the 6000 block of East Berry Street.

NBC 5 reported that a witness said he saw a man throw the boy down the stairs outside a mobile home, then strike the boy on the head.

The father and other relatives were present at the home, DeHoyos said.

The hospital alerted police due to the boy's serious injuries, she said.

The cause and manner of the boy's death was still pending Friday but DeHoyos called the boy's death "suspicious."

Crimes Against Children detectives are continuing to investigate, she said, and no one has been arrested in connection with the boy's death.

The boy's father, Joseph Carder Rodriguez, was arrested on Sunday by Fort Worth police on an outstanding probation violation warrant out of Lubbock on a marijuana case, DeHoyos confirmed.

He has since been transferred back to Lubbock County Jail, where he remained held Friday.

According to KAMC News in Lubbock, Jayden lived in Lubbock but was in Fort Worth visiting his father.

"He was funny, he was loving, he was always smiling and happy," Juana Zavala, Jayden's aunt, said in an interview with KAMC. "It's quiet without him around."

"No mom deserves to go through something like this," Zavala told the station. "I want them to know he was loving and had a big heart, and this family loved him like their own. Everyone loved him."

Stephen English: 817-390-7330, @sbenglish74

This story was originally published March 2, 2018 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Fort Worth police investigating suspicious death of Lubbock toddler."