Docs: Mother, boyfriend facing murder charges after 4-year-old dies from apparent blunt force trauma

SEATTLE - A mother and her boyfriend are being held for second-degree murder after the woman's 4-year-old child was found dead, likely due to blunt force trauma, according to court documents. 

On Dec. 11, first responders were called to a home in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood for reports of an unresponsive child. 

When crews arrived, they found the child's mother and her boyfriend tending to the child and Seattle Fire took over doing CPR until paramedics arrived. 

Unfortunately, the child was pronounced dead at the scene. 

According to court documents, the child had "significant" bruising around his face and head, and had some swelling to the back of his head. 

The medical examiner who responded to the scene said the child appeared to have died from blunt-force trauma. 

When the child's mother and her boyfriend were taken in for questioning, they both said that the child slipped in the bathtub and hit his head. However, "even when giving the relatively same story, their statements were inconsistent with each other," according to court documents from their first appearance. 

After some pressing, the mother and her boyfriend blamed the other for the child's injuries, according to court documents. His mother said her boyfriend caused the bruises and hit her child on the back of the head. Her boyfriend said the boy's mother punched him in the head and face several times, which caused the injuries. 

Both the 23-year-old mother and her 20-year-old boyfriend were arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of murder.

A judge found probable cause to hold them on a second-degree murder charge and bail was set at $50,000 each. 

"King County prosecutors argued that the two people arrested… are likely to commit a violent offense if released and should be held in custody. Prosecutors also noted the age of the vulnerable victim," the Prosecutors Office said of the first court appearance. 

The Crime Scene Investigation Unit and homicide detectives are investigating.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.