Las Vegas man now faces murder count in child’s death

By Paul Takahashi

Friday, May 13, 2011 | 8:28 p.m.

A Las Vegas man charged earlier this week with child abuse in the death of his girlfriend’s 3-year-old son now faces a count of murder, Metro Police said Friday.

Ramiro Camacho, 34, was charged on Wednesday with two counts of child abuse with substantial bodily harm and one count of child neglect related to the death of Adrian Garcia.

Following additional investigation, Camacho was re-booked Friday on a count of first-degree murder, four counts of emotional abuse and intimidating a witness, child abuse, and battery, domestic violence by strangulation, police said.

According to an arrest report, Camacho was caring for six children while his girlfriend, Monique Rivera, was at work Sunday evening.

Garcia suffered severe head trauma and had second-degree burns and bruises on his face when he was brought into Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center unconscious and unresponsive on May 7, according to the report. The Clark County Coroner’s Office hasn’t yet ruled on the cause and manner of death.

During the course of the investigation, police determined that Garcia’s five siblings — ages 12, 10, 8, 6 years, and 8 months — also suffered abuse while in Camacho’s care, police said. Camacho not only abused the children, but forced them to engage in abusive acts against each other, police allege.

Metro has yet to determine if criminal charges will be filed against the siblings, police said. Child Protective Services took custody of the siblings, according to the arrest report.

Camacho originally was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Sunday, where he was held on $30,000 bail, according to jail records.