San Jose Teen Charged in Toddler Foster Brother's Death

A San Jose teenager has been charged with murdering his 2-year-old foster brother after prosecutors said he repeatedly sexually assaulted the child. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges on April 20, 2026, and said the case was filed in juvenile court because the suspect was 17 on Easter Sunday, the day prosecutors say the killing happened. The suspect has since turned 18, and prosecutors are seeking to move the case into adult court. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) Prosecutors said the boy, identified as Jaxon, was found unresponsive in his crib at the foster family’s San Jose home with traumatic injuries and later died on April 9 after several days on life support. They said the new filing adds nine felony counts, including murder, child assault causing death and assault with a hair tie, on top of earlier sexual assault charges. (kron4.com, nbcbayarea.com) The case has also widened scrutiny of Santa Clara County’s foster care system. District Attorney Jeff Rosen said his office is investigating whether other people, including county child welfare workers, could bear criminal responsibility for the toddler’s death. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) NBC Bay Area reported that county leaders have called for accountability and reform, and that Jaxon had been placed with his aunt and her family after his mother died last year. KRON4 reported Rosen said Jaxon was the third South Bay child killed while under the supervision of the county’s Department of Family and Children’s Services. (nbcbayarea.com, kron4.com) The suspect cannot be publicly identified by prosecutors because of a court order tied to the juvenile case. KTVU, in a report reposted by the district attorney’s office, said the teen is now 18 and that the toddler was described there as his cousin. (da.santaclaracounty.gov) The fallout has already reached the county workforce. NBC Bay Area reported that 10 social workers were placed on administrative leave after the death, while the child welfare agency declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation. (nbcbayarea.com) The criminal case now turns on whether a judge keeps it in juvenile court or transfers it to adult court, while separate investigations continue into how Jaxon was placed in the home where he died. (da.santaclaracounty.gov, nbcbayarea.com)