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Fugitive in case of slain California infant arrested in Canada

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A man wanted for accessory to murder in the case of a California infant who was drowned shortly after birth in 2019 was arrested in Canada on Friday, authorities said.

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Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann, 23, will be extradited to Kern County, KGET reported. In addition to the accessory charge, Mann was also wanted for statutory rape, the television station reported.

Mann’s aunt, Beant Kaur Dhillon, 45, was convicted in December on charges of first-degree murder and two counts of assault, KERO-TV reported. Dhillon, who was the infant’s grandmother, was sentenced on March 5 to 25 years to life in prison, plus four years. She is not eligible for probation.

On Nov. 12, 2018, Dhillon’s 15-year-old daughter gave birth on the bathroom floor of her home, KGET reported. Dhillon did not know the girl was pregnant, the television station reported.

As the girl was led into another room, Dhillon drowned the newborn in the bathtub, KBAK reported. Dhillon and Mann then allegedly buried the baby in the backyard of their home, according to KBAK. During the trial, Dhillon’s daughter testified that Mann was the father of her child.

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The teen said her family told her the baby had been adopted, KBAK reported. She learned the baby was dead on Feb. 25, 2019, when her brother told her the infant had been buried in the backyard, the television station reported.

Dhillon confessed to drowning the infant and said she did it in order to “prevent family shame,” KERO reported.

Police said Mann was in the United States illegally at the time of the child’s death and had been wearing a GPS-monitoring device required by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, KGET reported.

Dhillon allegedly alerted Mann after being questioned by police, and the man removed the monitoring device and fled the country, according to court testimony.