Dressed in a blue suit with a red tie, Elvis Alberto Lopez of Santa Barbara took the stand during his murder trial on Monday and described his version of events that led to the death of 3-year-old Mila Solis.

Lopez, 27, is accused of murder, assault and other felonies in the death of Solis, who died in February 2023 of internal injuries. Lopez was dating Mila’s mother, Stephaney Valladares, at the time.

Prosecutors allege that Mila’s injury came from an “intentional, violent blow to her back.” Lopez was watching Mila at the time of her death, and no one was in the room with them at the time, authorities said.

Lopez testified in his own defense on Monday, during the third week of the trial in Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

Lopez stated that he had put Mila down for a nap in his bedroom before falling asleep himself. He said he woke up to a loud noise and saw the girl on the ground, looking up at him.

Lopez said he tried to help her and “took her out into the living room.” He testified that he then told one of the older kids in the apartment to call Mila’s mom and tell her there was an “emergency.” Valladares was at work during this time.

“I told them she had fallen,” Lopez said.

After calling 9-1-1, Lopez said he tried to follow the dispatcher’s instructions and conduct CPR until first responders from the Santa Barbara City Fire Department arrived.

Mila was later transported to Cottage Hospital, where she died of her injuries on Feb. 4, 2023.

Dr. Manual Montez, a pathologist with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau, testified that Mila died of blood loss after a fractured spinal cord punctured a blood vessel.

Deputy Public Defender George Steele asked Lopez about an incident when he was a minor, in which he attacked someone with a rock. Lopez, who took a plea deal for the assault, claimed that the other man had a weapon.

Lopez also admitted that he was a member of the Santa Barbara Westside Gang at the time, but that he is no longer a member. Steele described Lopez as “a citizen with no criminal record as an adult.”

During cross-examination, Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Karapetian challenged Lopez’s story of Mila falling off a bed.

She asked Lopez questions about the timeline of when he put Mila to bed and how fast she was able to fall asleep.

Karapetian also showed a video of the apartment and pointed out three different colored pillows on the couch, before showing other images of the same pillows on the bed off which Mila allegedly fell.

Karapetian questioned Lopez about why the pillows were in the living room at the time of Solis’ death if the two of them were asleep in the bedroom.

She also asked Lopez about his views on spanking and “whooping” children when they misbehave.

Lopez denied spanking any of the kids. Karapetian then referenced a post Lopez put on his Facebook account weeks before Mila’s death, where he seemed to support spanking.

She continued by asking about other incidents leading up to February 2023, during which Mila had sustained other bruises or injuries. Miguel Solis, the child’s father, testified that he had noticed injuries on his daughter and had taken photos to document them.

Previous testimony from the county pathologist stated that Mila showed multiple bruises in different stages of healing across her face, head and fingers. Lopez testified that the injuries came from accidents.

Karapetian also asked about the status of his relationship with Valladares, and whether they were having issues at the time of the girl’s death. She asked about texts recovered between the two, where Lopez expressed frustration with Mila’s biological father.

Karapetian alleged that the two were having other issues because Lopez was spending more time at Valladares’ apartment, and she needed to work more to cover living expenses. Karapetian also alleged that Lopez expressed interest in having a child with Valladares weeks after Solis’ death.

Lopez’s testimony is scheduled to continue on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Steele called members of Lopez’s family to testify, who described him as a father figure and a loving partner to Valladares.

Jesus Dorado Sanchez, his brother, testified that he first met Valladares in November 2022 and said Mila liked Lopez. He added that the girl would call him “dada,” and he took the family on trips.

Lopez’s mother, Maria Arateli Lopez, testified that she never saw her son be violent toward Valladares or her children. Other witnesses had testified about seeing bruises on Mila, and Maria Arateli Lopez testified that the marks were related to the young girl being accidentally hurt by the family dog.

Lopez remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail with bail set at $4 million.