Brawley Police arrest 22-year-old on murder, torture, and child abuse charges
BRAWLEY — A 22-year-old man is being held without bail on multiple felony charges, including murder, torture, and child abuse, according to booking records from the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office.
Isaac Elizondo was booked into custody on Jan. 15, 2026, at 1:11 p.m. following an arrest by the Brawley Police Department. He faces a charge of murder under California Penal Code section 187(a), along with additional charges of torture, child abuse with possible great bodily injury, and a felony parole violation. His occupation is listed as a cashier/clerk.
Sheriff’s records indicate Elizondo was initially assigned bail set at $1 million; however, he is being held without bail due to the parole violation charge.
However, this isn’t Elizondo’s first time being arrested for a violent crime. According to a press release from the Brawley Police Department, he was previously taken into custody in 2023 in connection with multiple violent incidents in the city.
Police said Elizondo was allegedly involved in two separate shooting incidents reported in March 2023, including one case in which a victim was shot in the chest and survived, as well as a third incident in May 2023 involving the alleged brandishing of a handgun. Investigators later determined Elizondo was allegedly responsible for the earlier incidents.
As a result of those investigations, Elizondo was arrested and booked into the Imperial County Jail on two counts of attempted murder and criminal threats, with bail set at $1 million.
According to the Desert Review Elizondo later appeared in El Centro Superior Court in May 2024 for a violation of probation hearing related to the Brawley shooting case. During the hearing, defense counsel requested additional dates, noting prosecutors intended to file a new case. The court ultimately scheduled the matter for a DeLeon Readiness Conference in early June 2024.
Families's opinion
According to the child’s aunt, Alma Sanchez, who spoke with 760 News Media, the child, a 5 year old boy, was under the care of family members and had previously shown signs of abuse. She said the child was last seen by her aunt on Dec. 20, 2025, and that she first learned of his death on Jan. 8, 2026, when the grandmother called to notify her.
Sanchez described the child as “a handful” but said the family was deeply shocked by the circumstances. She also noted that Isaac Elizondo was the mother’s boyfriend and had no parental relationship with the child.
“this is a sad situation. It's it's overwhelming. It's it's very sad and we all feel helpless and it's it's just really, really, really messed up. Sanchez said. “The child had been taken to the hospital previously because of bruises, and authorities investigated at the time.”
She added that authorities conducted an autopsy following the child’s death, and investigators are planning a second autopsy to further examine the history of abuse.
Elizondo’s arrest comes amid ongoing investigation by local law enforcement. Officials have not released additional details about the circumstances of the child’s death or the ongoing inquiry.
Elizondo now remains in custody as the 2026 case proceeds. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
We reached out to the Brawley Police Department for comment, have not heard back yet.
This is a development story. Stay tuned as more information becomes available throughout this week.
