California man charged with murder, sexual assault in baby's death

(Reuters) - A California man has been charged with murder, sexual assault and torture in the death of his 19-day-old daughter, authorities said. The baby's body was discovered Saturday in the front cab of a pickup truck in the Los Angeles suburb of Newhall, after her parents reported her missing, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The father, Matthew Brendan Warner, 30, was charged on Tuesday and faces life imprisonment in the alleged attack on the infant, L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a news release. His bail was set at $2.5 million. Warner is due to be arraigned on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Lacey said. Homicide detectives said the baby's mother has been cooperative in the investigation. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif.; Editing by Eric Beech)