An Orange County Superior Court judge Friday dismissed a case against a 34-year-old man charged with abusing twin infant boys in La Habra.
Jorge Alberto Navarro Rico was charged last year with hurting the babies between Oct. 31, 2024, and Feb. 9, 2025, according to the criminal complaint.
One baby suffered right and left arm fractures, according to the complaint. The other baby had a bite mark on the face as well as fractures to a rib, clavicle, both elbows, the right wrist, both knees and the left ankle, the complaint alleged.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin tossed 11 felony counts of child abuse and endangerment with sentencing enhancements for causing great bodily injury on a child younger than 5. Prosecutors said Friday they were not prepared to go to trial but the defendant’s attorney, Randy Alexander, answered ready for trial.
The dismissal came after Alexander argued in court papers that prosecutors failed to prove at a preliminary hearing, where the defendant was bound over for trial, that he was the cause of the injuries to the babies.
One of the witnesses was the babies’ 4-year-old sister, who told police that she saw her father yank on the arm of one of the infants, police testified. A twin had older injuries that came to light through X-rays at a hospital, police testified.