On the first day of the murder trial in the death of 3-year-old Mila Solis, prosecutors painted a picture of a happy toddler whose life changed when a new parental figure entered months before her death.

Elvis Alberto Lopez, 27, of Santa Barbara is accused of murdering Solis in February 2023 in the apartment he shared with Solis’ mother, Stephaney Valladares. Lopez and Valladares had started a relationship five months earlier, according to authorities.

Medical staff were called to Valladares’ apartment on Feb. 4, 2023, where they found Solis unconscious and covered in vomit, according to authorities. The toddler was not breathing and was transported to Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, where she was declared dead.

Lopez was babysitting Solis at the time of her death. Her two half-brothers were home but were not in the same room at the time.

The death was declared a murder after a medical autopsy showed signs of possible abuse, including bruises to her skull, according to authorities. The cause of death was determined to be a severed spine that prosecutors said was comparable to falling off a three-story building onto a single point, or a car crash.

In her opening statement for Lopez’s criminal trial in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Sarah Barkley described the injuries as an “intentional violent blow to her back.”

Barkley and Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Karapetian represent the prosecution for the case, and Public Defender George Steele represents Lopez.

Solis was the daughter of Valladares and her biological father, Miguel Solis. Valladares and Miguel Solis split up in 2022, shortly before Valladares began dating Lopez.

During opening statements, the prosecution outlined a history of what they called Lopez’s controlling behavior toward the toddler and her mother. They referred to friends of Valladares who said she had become withdrawn after she began dating Lopez.

Family members allege that they began noticing bruises and injuries on the toddler, and they documented them with photos.

Officer Shaneese Fischer, a crime scene investigator for the Santa Barbara Police Department, testified in court Tuesday that bruises were found on Solis, including two black eyes.

Chad Hunt, an investigator for the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, testified about Facebook posts made by Lopez before Solis’ death.

One of the posts talked about kids racking up “a– whoopings.” In another post, Lopez discussed “whooping” toddlers and disagreed with a different post saying toddlers should not be spanked.

During the defense’s opening statements, Steele described the situation as a tragedy but said the jury must follow the law. He added that the prosecution has a theory but no proof that Lopez committed a crime.

Steele said his client was asleep next to Solis after he had put her down for a nap. He then heard her fall from the bed and became concerned after she was unresponsive.

Steele added that his client called 9-1-1 and performed CPR, during which Solis may have sustained some injuries.

The criminal trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday.

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