Kevin Van Streefkerk (El Dorado County Sheriff's Office)
A 37-year-old father and state employee in the California governor's office is facing a spate of felonies for allegedly beating his newborn baby to death over the weekend.
Kevin Van Streefkerk was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count each of first-degree murder, intentional murder, heinous murder, and assault on a child under age eight resulting in death in the slaying of the 5-week-old, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a press release from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office, deputies on June 17 responded to a call regarding a report of "physical abuse against an infant." The department did not mention the location where the deputies were responding but noted that Van Streefkerk lived in Cameron Park with his wife and baby daughter, which is located just over 30 miles east of Sacramento.
"As a result of the abuse, the infant sustained numerous injuries," the sheriff's office said. She was immediately transported to a local hospital where she was admitted in critical condition. Unfortunately, the little girl succumbed to her injuries and died at the hospital the following day. She was pronounced dead on June 18, which was Father's Day.
As the investigation into the little girl's death unfolded, detectives said they developed probable cause to arrest Van Streefkerk for the infant's murder.
Van Streefkerk, who worked as a telecommunications technician at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, was booked into the El Dorado County Jail where he is currently being held without bond.
Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services did not immediately respond to messages from Law&Crime.
Ferguson did release a statement to several other outlets:
"We are shocked and saddened to learn of the circumstances around this event. We are coordinating closely with the law enforcement agencies on their investigation, and it is our understanding that the alleged events occurred outside of his capacity as a state employee."This individual has worked for the state since 2016. His work entailed the maintenance of radio equipment and did not involve contact with the public."
Additionally, Van Streefkerk was employed as the head tennis coach at Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights from August 2022 through November 2022. In a statement to The Sacramento Bee, a spokesperson for the school district reportedly told the newspaper that Van Streefkerk is no longer employed by San Juan Unified School District.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation into the infant's death remains ongoing.