Death of Aspen Hill Toddler Investigated as a Homicide

Boy, Found in Apartment, Might Have Suffocated, Authorities Say

A 2-year-old boy who was found unresponsive at home with his mother in Aspen Hill on Tuesday appears to have suffocated, and his death is being investigated as a homicide, authorities said yesterday.

Montgomery County police officers found the child, Leonardo Giovanni Sendejas, in a third-story apartment in the 3600 block of Bel Pre Road after a call to 911 from the home was disconnected.

The child's mother, who is 18 years old, lives in the apartment and was there when officers arrived, police spokeswoman Lucille Baur said. Baur said she did not know whether detectives had interviewed the mother. Police did not name the mother or say whether she is a suspect.

"This was a very traumatic situation, and we are always very sensitive to family members who experience the loss of a child," Baur said.

Baur declined to disclose the cause of the child's death, but a law enforcement source, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is open, said detectives think the child suffocated.

The mother and the child were the only people in the apartment when officers arrived shortly after 12:30 p.m., police said.

Officers called paramedics after finding the child unresponsive. He died at a hospital, Baur said.

James Twyman, a neighbor, said an older woman is the main tenant of the apartment. He said he did not know the young woman well but had the impression that the child was in good care.

"I'd always see him in her arms or a stroller," he said.

Staff researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.