Trial set in July for Iowa City man accused of leaving toddler home alone

An Iowa City man arrested in April on suspicion of leaving a 20-month-old toddler home alone for up to 20 minutes has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial July 24.

Jorge J. Perez, 20, faces a charge of child endangerment without injury, an aggravated misdemeanor, on suspicion of leaving the child, who died several days later. Perez is being held in the Johnson County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash-only bond.

Perez was booked into the jail early May 1 in connection with the child endangerment incident that police said occurred seven days earlier on April 25. Hours before he was booked, on April 30, Iowa City police reported being called to Perez's home at 2018 Waterfront Drive #120 on a report of a baby having difficulty breathing.

Twenty-month-old Marcus Balderas, who lived at the Waterfront Drive home with Perez and his biological mother, was rushed to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he was later pronounced dead.

The cause and manner of his death has not been released. Police are considering the death suspicious, but no charges have been filed. Iowa City police are investigating the case with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Department of Human Services and the Johnson County Attorney's Office.

According to a criminal complaint alleging Perez left Marcus home alone on April 25, a human services worker met with Perez, who admitted to leaving the toddler home alone for 20 minutes because he felt rushed to get to school.

Perez didn't seem concerned about the lack of supervision, according to the complaint. He entered a plea of not guilty in the case last week.