Dad arrested for death of 2-month-old daughter (Gilbert, Arizona)

Dad RICKY MARTINEZ has been arrested in the death of his 2-month-old daughter. Note that this is the second infant death this year in Gilbert, Arizona--the first was by a "caretaking" boyfriend, DANIEL REED III, who seemingly flipped out over diaper duty. (Note that the death of the Martinez baby was under similar circumstances involving diapering.) A 13-month-old girl died from a skull fracture in the earlier incident.

So what is it about diaper changing that sets so many guys off?

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/2009/11/17/20091117gr-babydeath1118.html

Baby's death is 2nd infant homicide in Gilbert this year
by Nathan Gonzalez - Nov. 17, 2009 07:31 AM
The Arizona Republic

As 2-month-old Lilliana Martinez was removed from life support at 6:40 a.m. Thursday, and all life slipped from her little body, Gilbert police turned to father, Ricky.

Police arrested Ricky Martinez about 5 p.m. Friday - the day before his 20th birthday - inside a business near Gilbert and Guadalupe roads. He's being held on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of his infant daughter, said Sgt. Mark Marino, a police spokesman.

Lilliana's death is Gilbert's second homicide involving an infant this year.
David Reed III, 22, is scheduled to be tried in February in the death of his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter, Cheree Goard. Reed told detectives he placed the baby on a coach to change her diaper and she fell onto the floor inside a home on the 530 block of S. Pandora Drive, according to police reports.

Cheree died May 9, nearly two days after being hospitalized with skull fractures and a healing broken collarbone, police reports state.

Ricky Martinez is being held on $1 million bond at a Maricopa County jail.

Lilliana entered the hospital Nov. 8 and survived four days.

While the investigation is ongoing, police believe Lilliana likely died from abuse at the hands of her father, who told detectives the 2-month-old child fell from a bed while he changed her diaper, at the request of his fiancé, Marino said Monday.

"The injuries the infant suffered are not consistent with a fall off of a bed and onto a carpeted floor," Marino said. "His story is not consistent with the evidence. Nothing in the investigation supports that."

After the child fell, Ricky Martinez picked up the infant and drove from his home on the 800 block of W. Laurel Avenue to the Gilbert fire station at 215 N. Cooper Road a half-mile away.

Once there, at 1:11 p.m., Ricky Martinez called 911.

Martinez's voice shook with emotion several times as he repeatedly explained to dispatchers how the child suffered a head injury and was unresponsive.

"My daughter fell off the bed and her head is really (expletive) up. . . . I went to go get a diaper," Martinez said in the 911 audio, "and she fell off the bed, and when she fell off the bed I heard a crack! On top of her head there's a big 'ol bump."

"Her eyes are kind of in back of her head. She's not alert at all, but she's breathing and making some noises," Martinez said.

Martinez remained in the Dodge Durango as another person, who is not identified in the audio, checked the fire station for help. More than four minutes passed until police and EMS responded.
In the audio Martinez says the side of the infant's head is swollen. Marino said the child sustained "serious injuries to the child's head," but declined to elaborate.

A preliminary autopsy was done, but Marino declined to comment on the preliminary results, saying a formal report had not yet been compiled.

Investigators had Martinez under surveillance and arrested him without incident the day after Lilliana died.

Lilliana Martinez's death is the sixth homicide investigation for the town, although one involved a home-invasion and was deemed justified by authorities