Authorities say the struggle allowed a woman and her older child to survive an attack that killed her 2-year-old son.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, Calif. — A woman who awoke to her boyfriend allegedly strangling her fought him off early June 7, interrupting what investigators believe was a plan to kill an entire family after her 2-year-old son had already been fatally attacked.

The confrontation inside an apartment at 107 The Alameda became the central break in a case that now includes five felony charges against 33-year-old Adrian Joseph Lujan. The woman survived, and a 4-year-old child in the home was not physically injured. Her younger son was found unconscious on a couch and later died at a children’s hospital. Lujan has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail while prosecutors prepare for the next stage of the case.

The incident began shortly before 12:14 a.m., when the 34-year-old woman was sleeping inside the San Juan Bautista apartment, according to the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said she awoke as Lujan, her boyfriend, was attempting to strangle her. A 4-year-old child was in the apartment during the assault. The woman resisted and was able to “fight him off,” the sheriff’s office said. Lujan then left the apartment in a Ford Fusion. Sheriff Eric Taylor later said investigators believed the suspect had intended to kill every member of the family but was interrupted when the woman fought back. That conclusion was based in part on statements Lujan allegedly made after his arrest, Taylor said. Authorities have not released a detailed account of those statements or described how long the confrontation lasted. They also have not said whether the woman suffered injuries requiring hospital treatment.

After Lujan fled, the woman searched for her 2-year-old son. He was not in his bed, authorities said. She found him on a couch outside her bedroom, where he appeared blue and unconscious. She called 911, prompting the report of a baby who was not breathing. Deputies and emergency medical workers arrived and began CPR. The child was taken to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead. Investigators said physical evidence indicated that the boy had been strangled. Officials have not publicly identified the child, disclosed an autopsy report or announced a final ruling from the medical examiner. They also have not explained when they believe the boy was attacked in relation to the alleged assault on his mother. The 4-year-old remained unharmed, although prosecutors allege the child was exposed to the violent incident.

The woman’s resistance separated the case from the wider killing that investigators believe Lujan had planned. Taylor said the surviving child could have faced the same danger if the woman had not stopped the attack against her. The sheriff described the event as an assault on the household rather than an isolated attack on one person. Investigators have not publicly identified a motive, and no records released so far establish why the violence began that night. Authorities have not said whether deputies had previously visited the apartment, whether the couple had a documented history of domestic violence or whether any restraining orders had been issued. The absence of a known motive remains one of the central unanswered questions. Prosecutors must prove the charged crimes in court, and Lujan is presumed innocent unless he is convicted.

Once the woman reported the attack and Lujan’s departure, law enforcement agencies began searching for him and the Ford Fusion. The sheriff’s office said automated license plate reader cameras helped track the vehicle into Merced County, more than an hour’s drive east of San Juan Bautista. Officers and deputies located Lujan there, pursued him and arrested him after what officials described as a physical encounter. Authorities have not said exactly where that arrest happened, how long the pursuit lasted or whether any officers were injured. The California Highway Patrol, Merced County agencies and the San Benito County District Attorney’s Office assisted with the response. The use of cameras allowed investigators to follow a vehicle that had left a small county and entered another jurisdiction during the first hours of the homicide investigation.

After the arrest, Lujan was taken to Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital for physical and mental evaluation, Taylor said. He was then returned to San Benito County and booked into jail. Sheriff’s investigators said Lujan confessed during an interview to killing his son. They have not released a recording, transcript or written summary of the alleged confession. Nor have they described whether Lujan had a lawyer present, how long detectives questioned him or what he allegedly said about the attack on his girlfriend. Any statement prosecutors seek to use could be examined in court through motions addressing whether it was obtained legally and voluntarily. The defense will have an opportunity to challenge the statement, the physical evidence and the government’s account of the night.

The San Benito County District Attorney’s Office later filed five felony counts. Court records list charges of murder, attempted murder, assault on a child causing death, inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and spousal abuse causing injury. Lujan was arraigned June 10 at the courthouse in Hollister and pleaded not guilty. He remains in the San Benito County Jail without bail. The attempted murder allegation reflects the reported attack on the woman, while the assault and murder allegations concern the death of the toddler. The domestic violence counts arise from the couple’s relationship and the claimed injuries to the woman. Prosecutors may present overlapping legal theories at this stage, but the final charges considered at trial could change as the case moves through preliminary proceedings.

The 4-year-old child’s presence also carries legal importance. Sheriff Taylor initially said authorities were considering a child endangerment allegation because the older child witnessed or was present during the violence. The publicly reported five-count complaint does not list a separately named child endangerment charge, but the child’s location and exposure could remain part of the evidence offered by prosecutors. Officials have not said where the surviving child is now living or disclosed the child’s relationship to Lujan. Those details are commonly withheld to protect a minor. The mother’s name also has not been released. Her statements are likely to be important because she is both the surviving victim of the alleged attempted murder and the person who discovered the toddler and called for emergency help.

The killing shook San Juan Bautista, a historic community of slightly more than 2,000 residents west of Hollister. The city is widely associated with Mission San Juan Bautista and a downtown area visited by tourists, making a homicide involving a young child especially jarring for residents. The San Benito County Board of Supervisors planned a moment of silence for the boy and his surviving family at its June 9 meeting. “We mourn the loss of this peaceful child and will pursue justice for him and his family,” the sheriff’s office said. The statement reflected the agency’s view of the case, but determining criminal responsibility now belongs to the court system, where the evidence will be tested under rules that differ from the standards used during an arrest.

The next major procedural step is expected to address whether prosecutors have enough evidence to continue toward trial. Lujan’s next reported court appearance is scheduled for July 23, when the court is expected to set a date for a preliminary hearing. At such a hearing, prosecutors may call investigators, introduce medical evidence and describe statements attributed to the defendant. A judge would then decide whether probable cause supports the charges. That is a lower standard than proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which would apply at a trial. No trial date has been announced. Prosecutors have not publicly described any plea discussions, and the defense has not released a detailed response to the sheriff’s allegations.

Several important facts remain unknown, including the exact sequence of the two alleged attacks, the results of the child’s autopsy and the reason investigators believe Lujan chose that night to act. Officials also have not disclosed whether they recovered physical evidence from the apartment or the Ford Fusion, whether surveillance video captured part of Lujan’s route or whether toxicology testing was conducted. Those records may become part of the court case as attorneys exchange evidence. For now, the surviving woman’s reported resistance stands at the center of the timeline: She fought off an alleged strangulation, remained in the home with two children and found the younger boy in time to summon emergency crews, though doctors could not save him.

For now, Lujan is being held without bail after entering not-guilty pleas to all five felony charges. His case is scheduled to return to San Benito County Superior Court on July 23 for proceedings connected to a future preliminary hearing.

Author note: Last updated July 11, 2026.