Friday, May 6, 2011

Dad charged with aggravated murder in death of 11-week-old daughter (Akron, Ohio)

Hmm. Sounds like daddy DENNIS WATSON was playing his video games when he was supposed to be babysitting. And then I bet he got "frustrated." And then instead of facing the music, Daddy went AWOL.

http://www.fox8.com/news/akroncanton/wjw-news-akron-infant-death-investigation,0,4167317.story

Father a Wanted Man in Death of Infant DaughterBy Dave Nethers

Fox 8 News Reporter

6:39 p.m. EDT, May 5, 2011

AKRON, Ohio— Police are charging the father of an 11-week-old girl with aggravated murder after she died at Akron Children's Hospital late Wednesday.

The Summit County Medical Examiner ruled on Thursday that Avionna Helms died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The girl's mother, 35-year-old Deborah Helms, told police that she left the house to run errands and left Avionna with her father, Dennis Watson.

Helms told police when she arrived home she noticed there was something different about the infant.

"Not eating, unresponsive, not the normal 11-week-old behaviors," said Akron Police Lieutenant Rick Edwards.

"She didn't know what happened and found out later from talking to the father that the remote controller from the Sony PlayStation fell off the couch and hit the child on the head," Edwards added.

Police say on Wednesday the baby had developed a bruise on the side of its head and was still lethargic, so Helms took her to a local doctors office where they called 9-1-1.

"When the doctors office examined the child they determined that the injuries were more than what should be treated at the doctors office because of the bruising, injuries on the head," said Edwards.

Police say doctors at Akron Children's Hospital also told them they had discovered additional internal injuries.

Police were preparing to charge Watson with felonious assault when the baby died. Those charges have now been changed to aggravated murder.

Watson was believed to be somewhere in South Carolina on Thursday. Akron police are working with authorities in South Carolina to try and find him.

Friends told Fox 8 News on Thursday that Deborah Helms was grieving and didn't want to comment.

Police say Avionna was the couple's only child.