(L.A.) Hustler Castillo Cortez, a Baby, Died in a Hospital

Case Number: 2026-02473

Los Angeles County is reporting the death of a Latino male that occurred in a hospital.

The coroner’s office identified the infant boy as Hustler Castillo Cortez.

Manner of Death: Natural

Cause of Death: Sequelae of Meconium Aspiration

RIP HUSTLER CASTILLO CORTEZ ( February 9, 2026)

Formal pronouncement of death was made on Monday.

The child was about four days old.

Aspiration of meconium usually happens when a baby is under extreme stress while still in the womb. It can cause a fatal cascade of lung inflammation, blocked airways, and circulatory failure in the days following birth.

Since 2001, there have been at least a dozen publicized cases of such deaths in the county. One child survived to the age of seven with chronic debility.