Stepdad charged with murder in shaking death of 7-month-old baby (San Angelo, Texas)

Stepdad STEVE GARCIA JR. has been charged with murder in the shaking death of his wife's 7-month-old son. Garcia was "home alone" with the child at the time of the incident.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/sep/18/san-angelo-man-given-murder-indictment-in-death/

San Angelo man indicted in shaking death of infant
Garcia, 22, held in lieu of $100,000
By Jennifer Rios
Posted September 18, 2009 at 5:36 p.m. , updated September 18, 2009 at 8:26 p.m.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — A man accused of shaking a 7-month-old baby was indicted on a murder charge last week by a Tom Green County grand jury, according to an indictment list.

Steve Garcia Jr., 22, of the 1800 block of North Harrison, was booked into the Tom Green County jail Sept. 14, and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bond.

San Angelo police arrested Garcia at the beginning of May and charged him with injury to a child. Garcia was Jakob’s stepfather. His mother has not been identified.

San Angelo lawyer Jimmy Stuart is listed as Garcia’s attorney.

City police responded to a 9-1-1 call about an infant not breathing in May. When they arrived, officers found Jakob Trevino on a counter. He was taken to Shannon Medical Center and later flown to a hospital in Fort Worth. The infant subsequently died.

At the mother’s request, doctors were able to harvest Jakob’s organs for donation.

Garcia apparently was home alone with the child at the time when they believe Jakob was shaken, police have said. It’s not yet clear who called 9-1-1 or where the mother was at the time.
They believe shaken baby syndrome may have been the cause of death, but a preliminary autopsy is pending. Doctors have told police they found indications that Jakob was injured intentionally.

According to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, 1,200 to 1,400 deaths caused by it occur in the U.S. each year.

Shaken baby syndrome is the most common form of death as a result of child abuse. It occurs when someone violently shakes an infant, which can cause swelling in the brain. The syndrome can lead to severe brain damage, cerebral palsy, blindness or death.

Murder is a first-degree felony, and is punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000.