Police Arrest Marine After Baby’s Death

TUSTIN —  A Marine Corps staff sergeant has been arrested on suspicion of killing his live-in girlfriend’s 13-month-old son with a blow to the stomach, police said.

Ronald L. Backus, 33, who is stationed at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, was arrested Sunday, two days after the toddler, Travonne Jackson, was rushed to Orange County Children’s Hospital and died.

Foul play was not suspected until coroner’s investigators performed an autopsy Saturday, said Tustin Police Sgt. Brent Zicarelli. The baby suffered “some type of blunt trauma to the abdomen that ruptured the internal organs,” police said.

Backus has been living with his girlfriend and her three children from a previous relationship at her apartment in the 1100 block of Walnut Street, Zicarelli said. The other children, ages 4 and 5, were taken to Orangewood Children’s Home.

The mother, who is in her 20s, is not a suspect in the case and was not present when the baby was injured, Zicarelli said. Police did not release her name. A court will decide whether to return the children to her, Zicarelli said.

The incident occurred sometime Thursday night or Friday morning, he said. The mother was out late with friends while Backus stayed home with the children.

She did not see the baby until she awoke Friday, and then she noticed that he was not well. She called 911 about 2:20 p.m., saying the boy appeared to be having a seizure, and paramedics responded.

“There wasn’t a seizure going on when the medics got there,” Zicarelli said. “The child looked OK, but they transported him anyway. They noticed no weird signs. The child got to the hospital and died about 15 minutes later.”

After police received the coroner’s report, they contacted Backus and the mother Saturday. Both voluntarily went to the Tustin police station for questioning.

After extensive questioning, police arrested Backus at the station at 12:18 a.m. Sunday.

“The information he gave us was enough to book him for murder,” Zicarelli said.

The mother was eliminated as a suspect “after lengthy interviews.”

“I don’t think she knew exactly what was wrong,” Zicarelli said. “It was a shock to her when we actually did tell her there was criminal activity involved.”

Police say they are still conducting a check of Backus’ background, but they have had no prior contacts with him.

Backus, a Marine since 1989, is a mobile refueling noncommissioned officer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 373, Lt. Douglass Powell said. His hometown was not immediately known.

He is being held at the Orange County Jail on $250,000 bail.