Jury selection set for University City man in murder of infant daughter

SAN DIEGO Jury selection will start on Sept in the murder trial for a University City man accused of causing the injuries that led to his infant s death Jaime Javier Santillanes has pleaded not guilty to the murder of -week-old Genevieve Santillanes who was taken to a hospital on March and later died Police had received a p m call about a non-breathing infant at a townhome in the block of La Jolla Village Drive San Diego police stated the infant sustained serious traumatic internal injuries and child abuse was suspected Genevieve died of her injuries three days later Santillanes attorney Brian E Watkins has argued his client was holding the infant when he fell asleep and fell from a chair in the living room of the townhome in the block of La Jolla Village Drive Watkins announced Santillanes weighed about pounds at the time and he fell upon her head on the -inch carpeted floor That accident caused her fatal injuries argued Watkins The cause of death was blunt force trauma but a pediatrician who testified in the preliminary hearing noted the baby s injuries were not the aftermath of an accident The attorneys and Santillanes met with San Diego Superior Court Judge Lisa Rodriguez on June and the future court dates were set Officers interviewed Santillanes and the infant s mother that night and afterwards They arrested Santillanes five days later in another residence Santillanes is also charged with assault upon a child with force likely to produce great bodily injury and death This charge carries a mandatory sentence of years to life in prison Santillanes has denied both charges and remains in jail without bail He has waived his right to have a speedy trial