Coroner rules 2-year-old’s death a homicide

Michael Onate, who died Nov. 19, was just 2 years and 3 months old at the time of his death. Ruling his death a homicide, the coroner’s office cited the cause as injuries resulting from blunt force trauma to the abdomen and head.

A Clark County Department of Family Services report stated that emergency medical personnel responded to a local residence on a 911 call concerning a 2-year-old child in distress.

“The child was transported to a local hospital where he was listed in critical condition. The child was shortly thereafter pronounced deceased,” the report said.

The department has no history for the child or his family that is related to the fatality incident, the report said.

Michael Hopkins was arrested Wednesday in connection with the homicide. He was booked into Clark County Detention Center with two felony charges — one for first degree murder and one for possession of a stolen firearm, Metro spokesman Michael Rodriguez said. It was not immediately clear how Hopkins was connected to Onate.

No additional information was immediately aviailable.

Review-Journal writer Lawren Linehan contributed to this story. Contact Christian Bertolaccini at cbertolaccini@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Find @bertolacciniC on Twitter.