Antioch dad charged with murder in punching death CRIME

Sigifredo Lua of Antioch, arrested on suspicion of beating his 2-month-old son. Sigifredo Lua of Antioch, arrested on suspicion of beating his 2-month-old son. Photo: Antioch Police Department, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Antioch Police Department, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Antioch dad charged with murder in punching death 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

An Antioch man was charged Friday with murdering his 2-month-old son by punching him in the face to make him stop crying.

Sigifredo Lua, 23, also faces charges for assaulting his now-2-year-old son, a prosecutor said.

Lua's baby son was pronounced dead shortly after noon Friday at Children's Hospital Oakland. Lua allegedly punched him Tuesday night at his home on the 700 block of O Street, breaking numerous bones, tearing his liver and causing bleeding on the brain, police said.

The Alameda County coroner will perform an autopsy Tuesday. The boy's name has not been released.

Contra Costa County prosecutors charged Lua with murder and assault on a child resulting in death.

Lua was also charged with willful injury to a child for assaulting his now-2-year-old son in April 2009, when that boy was 2 months old. The incident did not result in charges at the time, but the district attorney has since compiled additional evidence, said prosecutor John Cope.

On Feb. 7, Lua assaulted his wife, the mother of both children, prompting prosecutors to also lodge a charge of corporal injury on a spouse, Cope said.