Santa Ana Suspect Sought in Toddler’s Torture-Slaying

SANTA ANA — Police are seeking the public’s help in the search for a 32-year-old Santa Ana man suspected of molesting, torturing and killing a 20-month-old boy and abandoning the body at a hospital.

Trent Stephen Fouts was the last person seen with Joshua Troy Massengill, whose body was found

Jan. 10 outside a branch of Western Medical Center in the 600 block of East Washington Street, police said.

Fouts is 6 feet, 200 pounds, with short blond hair and blue eyes, according to Police Sgt. Bob Clark. Fouts has numerous tattoos, is known to wear berets and sunglasses, and often travels out-of-state by train.

Fouts and the baby’s mother were staying at a Santa Ana motel, Clark said. Fouts was baby-sitting the boy before he was found propped up against a wall at the convalescent hospital, Clark said. The body was beaten and burned and showed signs of sexual assault, Clark said.

“This is probably the worst case I’ve seen or heard of, and I’ve seen quite a few,” said Clark, a 29-year veteran of the force. “It’s tantamount to torture, what happened to this kid.”

Fouts also is wanted for a December cocaine possession charge, Clark said. Fouts has a lengthy criminal history, with arrests for theft, burglary, drunk driving and drug charges, court records show.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Santa Ana detectives at (714) 834-4801.