Dad arrested for shaking, punching "wailing" baby to death (Queens, New York)

Dad SAUL CORTEZ has admitted that he shook and punched his 8-month-old son to death because he was "wailing" (e.g. wouldn't stop crying). Dad had only been babysitting for 20 freaking minutes when he "lost it" and bashed this baby so severely that he suffered a lacerated liver, several broken ribs, and severe brain and eye injuries. The baby died after more than a week on life support.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/04/14/2010-04-14_father_charged_in_infant_shake_death.html

Queens dad charged in infant shake death
BY Jonathan Lemire
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, April 14th 2010, 4:00 AM

A Queens dad was arrested for shaking his wailing 8-month-old son to death - the borough's third child to die from abuse in the past month, officials said Tuesday.

Saul Cortez, 24, admitted to investigators that he repeatedly shook and punched Mario Patrice in the back when the baby would not stop crying, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Mario was rushed on April 5 to Schneider Children's Hospital, where he was on life support for more than a week before dying Sunday.

Cortez was watching Mario in his Far Rockaway home when the infant's mother stepped out to run an errand, Brown said.

When mom Monica Patrice returned 20 minutes later, Cortez was on the phone calling for help and standing near the lifeless child, Brown said.

The boy suffered severe brain and eye injuries, a lacerated liver and several rib fractures, Brown said.

"It is shocking to consider that his father is charged with inflicting such brutality and suffering on one as young and innocent as his own child," said Brown.

Mario's organs were donated after he was removed from life support, officials said.

Cortez was originally charged with assault and endangering the welfare of a child, but a grand jury could upgrade the charge to murder, officials said.

Two other babies were killed and a third critically injured in a troubling series of abuse cases in the last month, police said.

Anniyah Shannon, 19 months, and Dilan Crillo, 9 months, were each shaken to death by their baby-sitters, both of whom were later charged with second-degree murder.

"Under no circumstances should a child be shaken," said Brown. "Three seconds of shaking is all it takes to cause irreparable injury or even death."

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