Selena Elsie Aleman

Selena Elsie Aleman, a 5-month-old Latina, was pronounced dead on Wednesday, Feb. 23, in the 8000 block of California Avenue in South Gate, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff's homicide investigators. 

South Gate Police officers were called to Selena's home around 4:47 a.m. regarding a call about a baby not breathing, said sheriff's Lt. Derrick Alfred. 

Her parents told investigators they put the baby to bed around 11 p.m. and when they woke up to get ready for work they noticed she wasn't breathing, Alfred said. 

Sheriff's Homicide Bureau investigators were asked to take over the investigation on Feb. 27, when the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office declared Selena's death a homicide caused by traumatic injury, Alfred said. 

On Thursday, March 7, Selena's father, Jose Francisco Aleman, 22, was arrested on suspicion of murder and assault of a child. He was formally charged March 11 with murder and one count of assault on a child causing death. 

His arraignment was postponed to March 26 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Downey Courthouse.

Investigators put a security hold on the autopsy results, meaning the coroner's office can't release that information to the public, and Alfred refused to disclose further details about what caused Selena's death or why her father was charged. 

"The victim's father was arrested after an exhaustive investigation," he said. "All I can say is that the father is cooperating with the investigation."

Selena's mother is not a suspect in her death, Alfred said. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. 

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.