Babysitting dad arrested in death of 8-month-old son (Bloomington, Minnesota)

It's a numbingly familiar story, really. UNNAMED DAD was left to babysit, and when Mom got home, the baby was alone--guess Dad didn't really feel like babysitting that day. Or he was trying to avoid the fact that the child was "unresponsive" and was dead by the time police arrived. Dad has a criminal history which includes child abuse. Wonder if the mom even knew.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=822821&catid=14

Father arrested in death of Bloomington baby
Updated: 8/24/2009 8:35:19 AM

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Police in Bloomington have arrested the father of an 8-month-old boy who was found dead.

Police responded to a report of an unresponsive child around 3 p.m. Saturday, but when they arrived, the baby was dead.

Authorities say the 29-year-old father had been left in charge of the baby boy, but when the mother returned home, she found the child alone.

Police commander Mark Stehlik said Sunday that officers found the father late Saturday, in a wooded area trying to hide from police a few blocks from the apartment home where his son was found dead. The father was jailed on suspicion of child endangerment.

Commander Stehlik did say the father does have a criminal history that includes charges of malicious punishment of a child and a domestic assault by strangulation. The man has two other children, one with the mother of the deceased baby and the other with another woman.

Bloomington Police say they will hand this case over to the Hennepin County Attorney to consider possible charges. The man is in custody in Bloomington.

Authorities still aren't saying how the baby died or releasing his name, pending a report from the medical examiner's office.