Monday, September 30, 2013

Dad charged with beating 3-year-old son into unconsciousness during week-long visitation (Phoenix, Arizona)

Wonder if this week-long visit was "voluntary" on the mother's part, or court-ordered. Also wonder if Daddy had a history of domestic violence with the mother, and yet was granted his "parenting" time anyway.

Dad is identified as JAVIER "JUNIOR" JAIME.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23550988/2013/09/27/father-allegedly-beats-3-year-old-with-belt

Report: Father faces child abuse charges after beating toddler with belt

Updated: Sep 27, 2013 3:55 PM EDT

By FOX 10 News - Staff Report

PHOENIX - A father faces child abuse charges after his 3-year-old son was seen covered in bruises and brought to a hospital unconscious.

20-year-old Javier "Junior" Jaime and his girlfriend were taking care of his 3-year-old son for a week in August.

A police report states Jaime called for help after his son was limp and unconscious on Aug. 30.

He claimed his son fell and hit his head in the bath tub.

However, the report reveals the boy told hospital staff "My dad made me hit my head because he got angry. He gets angry a lot."

And later told a hospital social worker, "Daddy made me bleed," and pointed to his upper lip.

The police report states the boy had bruises all over his body and peeling skin on his buttocks.

When Jaime was interviewed, he initially claimed that his son refuses to use the bathroom and was burned by hot water after he wet himself. He also said the boy is very difficult and that he hit him with a belt once.

Eventually, the report shows Jaime admitted to lying to the detective when he was first interviewed.

He allegedly told police he had beat his son with a belt on his buttocks two to three times a day for about two or three days before the day the boy went to the hospital.

The report also states Jaime told police he picked his son up from inside a bathtub and then dropped him back into the water, causing him to hit his head. He then claims he thought his son was having a seizure and called for help.

Jaime's girlfriend told police she allegedly saw him take his son into a bedroom and lock the door. She says he was angry and afterward, she could hear the child crying.

He was arrested and faces three counts of child abuse.

Dad pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of 4-month-old son; sentenced to 15 years in prison (Utah)

Of course, Daddy's family is in total denial. But the evidence suggests that Daddy abused this baby from birth. He didn't just "lose it" one day.

If you're a praying type, pray for the baby of the killer daddy's sister. She intends to take a man who was just convicted of manslaughter of a child into her home. Great to be charitable towards your brother, but really. You would put your own child at risk in this way?

Daddy is identified as WHITNEY PALMER.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56930038-78/andus-baby-carter-palmer.html.csp?page=1

Utah father who shook, killed infant is going to prison

Boy’s mother describes her pain as sobbing defendant expresses his sorrow.

By Marissa Lang
The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published Sep 28 2013 01:01 am • Last Updated Sep 28 2013 01:01 am

The life of Whitney Palmer’s 4-month-old son was worth more than 15 years, the young mother said Friday.

Her son’s name was Carter.

Had Carter not died two years ago at the hands of his father, the boy would have grown up, she said. He would have lived a full and happy life, she said. It would have lasted longer than 15 years.

"There will always be this huge hole in my heart," Palmer, 22, told the court Friday. "Every time I see a little kid about 3 years old, I just think of him. He would have been that age now. And I think of who he would have been and what he would be doing. I always will."

Third District Judge Deno Himonas listened as the grieving mother sobbed before the court Friday. He nodded as she told him no amount of prison time would bring back her baby boy.

Then he did the only thing he could do — he sentenced Jeremy Andus, the infant’s father, to up to 15 years in prison for killing the baby.

Andus, who has been behind bars since April 2011, will get credit for the time he has already served, meaning he will be released no later than when he turns 35. Andus pleaded guilty to a count of manslaughter.

"This may be a life sentence of pain for everyone, but that baby got a death sentence," grandmother Leianna Palmer said. "He’s going to be old enough to get out and live a life after all of this. Carter never will."

As she spoke, Andus sat, hung his head and sobbed.

The chains around the young father’s wrists clattered as he raised his hands to wipe tears from his eyes. He was sorry, he told the judge.

"I think about this the first thing in the morning; I dream about this when I go to sleep," Andus said, shaking his head as tears ran down his young face, mingling with the brown hairs of a goatee. "I loved Carter. He was my son, too. ... And I want to get the help I need and do something with my life. Not just for me, but to honor my son."

According to court documents, a man heard screaming outside his workplace and found Andus holding the baby, "white and totally limp," in the backseat of a car. Doctors managed to revive the infant momentarily, but the Carter eventually died from the "massive" head trauma doctors deduced was caused by shaking and hitting a hard surface.

At a preliminary hearing last year, a doctor from Primary Children’s Medical Center said the child had tears in his brain tissue and damage to his brain stem.

These kinds of injuries are seen only in the "worst of the worst" cases, according to Salt Lake County prosecutor Rob Parrish.

Doctors also found an older head injury — the result of prolonged and continuous abuse, the Palmer family said.

"It wasn’t just one time he was shaken or hurt, it was the whole time he was alive," Whitney Palmer said. "It was the whole four months."

"We had an inkling something was going on, but he stopped coming by, he stopped letting us see our daughter or our grandson," Carter’s grandfather Dave Palmer added after the hearing. "Then one day we saw Carter and he was just lethargic, blank. Like a doll. There was no life left in that baby."

Andus has denied repeatedly abusing the baby.

He was originally charged with first-degree felony murder and second-degree felony child abuse in the baby’s death, but those charges were reduced and dismissed, respectively, after Andus made a plea deal with prosecutors.

Before Andus was sentenced, his mother and sister told the judge that he was a good man who did a bad thing.

"I don’t think anyone is going to get better — emotionally or spiritually or however — with Jeremy going to prison," said the defendant’s sister, who appeared pregnant and told the judge she and her husband were willing to take Andus into their home, with their young baby, after he is released from custody. She declined to give her name to a reporter after the hearing.

Himonas said he appreciated her trust in her brother, but noted that the terms of Andus’ probation or parole would probably prohibit him from living with children.

Dad convicted of involuntary manslaughter in death of 18-month-old son (Waterloo, Iowa)

Dad is identified as DANIEL J. REDDOUT. In earlier articles, it is explained that Daddy suffocated the baby to help him "sleep."

http://www.kwwl.com/story/23549032/2013/09/27/black-hawk-county-jury-finds-reddout-guilty

Black Hawk County jury finds Reddout guilty in child's death

Posted: Sep 27, 2013 12:25 PM EDT

Updated: Sep 27, 2013 6:15 PM EDT

Written by Eric Page, Content Manager -
Written by Shelley Russell, Multimedia Journalist


WATERLOO (KWWL) - A Black Hawk County jury has found Daniel J. Reddout of Cedar Falls guilty of involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment causing death and child endangerment/multiple acts. The charges stem from the death of his 18-month-old son in 2011.

Reddout was accused of killing his 18-month-old son, Kaleb at the Midway Studios, 4117 University Avenue, on April 4, 2011.

Reddout was originally charged with first degree murder, but the seven women and five men on the jury decided to go with a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, punishable by up to five years in prison.

The jury also convicted Reddout on two counts of child endangerment, as he was originally charged, each count punishable by up to 50-years in prison.

"We think the jury spent a good deal of time listening, paying attention. We thought they were very involved in the whole process, and we think that the verdict is a fair verdict," said Reddout's attorney Dustin Lies.

Sentencing has not been scheduled, but according to Reddout's attorney, none of the charges carry a mandatory minimum, and Reddout could be eligible for parole at any point.

Dad charged with deliberate homicide in death of 8-week-old daughter; baby in dad's "sole custody" at time of fatal head injuries (Butte, Montana)

Dad is identified as MATTHEW JOHN BLAZ.

Notice that the baby was in the "sole custody" of the father at the time she received her fatal head injuries, and that there are references to "Blaz's home"--not the couple's home.

Wonder if this once again one of those custody/visitation situations, where the baby was placed in the hands of a father with a criminal record. Big mistake.

http://mtstandard.com/news/local/father-charged-in-baby-s-death-butte-man-arrested-after/article_b8673e14-27ef-11e3-9897-0019bb2963f4.html

Father charged in baby’s death; Butte man arrested after autopsy

September 28, 2013 12:45 am • By Angela Brandt of The Montana Standard

A 32-year-old Butte man has been charged with killing his infant daughter.

Prosecutors say Matthew John Blaz killed the 8-week-old girl Aug. 16.

Authorities launched an investigation after the baby’s death, which was originally reported as an accidental fall, Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester said in a press conference Friday. The state Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby died of abusive head trauma, and Blaz was arrested Thursday afternoon after questioning.

He is charged with deliberate homicide and is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Charging documents say Blaz was in sole custody of the baby at the time of death. Authorities believe the assault took place about 4 p.m. at Blaz’s home, 2017 Arizona St.

Later that day, Blaz was with the baby and her mother in a car at a local business parking lot when they called 911 to report the child wasn’t breathing. The couple was apparently trying to take the child to the hospital, the sheriff said.

An obituary published Aug. 21 in The Montana Standard identifies her as Mattisyn Jolene Blaz. It says “she passed away in the arms of her parents.”

Lester declined to say if a weapon was involved or describe the assault, saying only that Blaz “knowingly caused her death.”

“I can’t comment on what statements he’s made,” the sheriff said. “I can only indicate what the charging documents say.”

Neither Blaz nor his family could be reached for comment Friday.

Lester said his officers have previously “had involvement” with Blaz, but he was not immediately sure to what extent. Blaz received a prison sentence for criminal endangerment stemming from a 2002 charge in Missoula County and is on probation, according to the Montana Department of Corrections

The arrest marks the second time this year Butte-area authorities say a father killed his child. Jeremy Brent Cramer, 28, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of mitigated deliberate homicide in the slaying of his 3-year-old son. Cramer is accused of killing his son on July 9. Investigators found the boy’s body off of Mill Creek Highway, about five miles southeast of Anaconda.

"Frustrated" dad charged with 1st-degree murder in beating death of sick 14-month-old son (Finley, Oklahoma)

I sincerely wonder whether there was a mother in this home. Where was she while this baby was comotose, and Daddy was wasting time researching head injuries on the Internet? Had the mother been present, it is almost certain that she would have been charged with failure to protect. So unless the mother was working the night shift somewhere, this is probably some sort of custody/visitation situation. Of course, we're not provided with any explanation here as to how and why this guy had access to this child, or who gave it to him.

Dad is identified as MARIN CLAY ALLISON.

http://www.durantdemocrat.com/news/home_top/2588071/Man-charged-in-death-of-son-set-for-trial-Monday

Man charged in death of son set for trial Monday

by Matt Swearengin Managing Editor

1 days 14 hours ago

A father accused of causing the death of his infant son is scheduled for a jury trial on Monday.

Marin Clay Allison, 25, Finley, was charged in June 2012 with first-degree murder by child abuse for the death of his 14-month-old son Ethan Allison.

According to an affidavit by Durant Police Lt. Chris Marcy, Allison, who said he was ill at the time, admitted to becoming frustrated with the boy on the evening of May 20 at his Durant residence. He said he grabbed him by his clothes and pulled him off his feet. The boy’s head then hit a tile floor with violent force.

The affidavit states that Allison stayed up all night researching head injuries and coma symptoms on the Internet. He called 911 at about 5:45 a.m. May 21 after the boy stopped breathing.

According to police, Allison first said his son was injured from a fall, but during another interview, he admitted the injuries were not from an accidental fall.

Ethan died May 22 at Children’s Medical Hospital in Dallas, Texas, after he was taken off of life support. A doctor at Children’s Hospital completed an affidavit that states Ethan died of a severe and acute traumatic brain injury.

According to Bryan County District Attorney Emily Redman, there is specific language in the first-degree murder statute that states the death of a child as the result of child abuse is considered first-degree murder.

Allison, who is free on bond, is being represented by attorney Warren Gotcher of McAlester. As of Friday afternoon, the trial was scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Monday when jurors will be picked for the case.

Custodial dad beats 3-year-old son to death for defecating on bed (Nigeria)

Sure, there are cultural differences. But in the main outline, the ways that killer dads justify and excuse their actions are remarkably the same, no matter what their country or culture.

Number #1 for these guys: it's always somebody else's fault. Notice that this POS blames "Satan" for "using him" to kill his son. So it's all about Daddy, how he's the real victim. Boo hoo.

Number #2: Killer dads who have managed to eliminate the mother in some way very frequently claim they were "abandoned." It's also a convenient way of blaming the mother for the father's violent actions. If only she were still here taking care of me me me!

In reality, these guys are nearly always lying and/or delusional about the mother. If this Daddy was capable of beating a sick child to death for having an accident, just how do you think he treated the mother? That he beat/tortured her is just about 100% certain. We just don't know whether he managed to kill her (blaming her death, no doubt, on "Satan") and then concealed the body, or whether she was driven out because of violence and death threats and unable to return.

Dad is identified as IKECHUKWU OKORO.

http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/09/29/father-flogs-three-year-old-son-to-death-for-urinating-on-bed/

Father flogs three-year-old son to death for urinating on bed

By Ameh Comrade Godwin on September 29, 2013

A 26- year-old man, Ikechukwu Okoro is currently in custody of the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for allegedly beating his three-year-old son, Chinedu to death.

Okoro, according neighbours woke up by 4.30am on September 13, 2013 to discover that his sick and only son had defecated on the bed.

Apparently angered by the boy’s action, he picked a cane and flogged him repeatedly until the boy gave up the ghost.

He rushed the dead boy to a nearby clinic but he was confirmed dead on arrival.
He told the police that he never knew what came over him, “It was out of annoyance that I flogged my son, Chinedu to death. The boy had been sick for some time. It was when I woke up around 4.30am that fateful day that I discovered that Chinedu had defecated on my mattress.

“He was the only son I had. When I discovered that he had defecated on the bed we were sleeping together. I went outside to look for a stick to flog him, just like any other normal father would have done to his recalcitrant child. I found a bitter leaf stick and used it to flog him twice. I didn’t know that it could lead to his death.

Okoro, a native of Isieta Amanato, in Isu Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, further explained that his wife, Uchechi abandoned him in 2009 with Chinedu, his only son who is now deceased.

He blamed Satan for the misfortune. “It was Satan that used me. When I was flogging him, I perceived an irritating odour from his mouth and I stopped flogging him immediately. I rushed him to a nearby clinic around my area. The same doctor that I took my son to, took us to another hospital. There, the doctors told me, after examination that my child was dead.”

Okoro said he could not believe it when he brought the corpse of his child home, and raised the alarm that attracted the attention of neighbours. “They came to ask me what killed my son. I confessed to them that he died as a result of the flogging I gave him because he defecated on my mattress.”

“My son had been sick, his stomach was swollen before I flogged him,” Okoro lamented.

One of the neighbours, Ogbonnaya Orie who was the only person who pleaded with Ikechukwu to stop beating his son said all his efforts fell on deaf ears. “And when Chinedu died, he begged me to assist him to bury the child, but I refused,” he said.

Ebonyi State Police Command through its State Criminal Investigations Department, (SCID) is currently interrogating Ikechukwu Okoro at Isieta Amanato Isu Onicha.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Maigari Abbati Dikko said that it was a shock to him that the suspect, Ikechukwu confessed to have flogged his own son, Chinedu to death.

The police Commissioner said the case was reported at Isu Onicha Divisional Headquarters of the police and the suspect was arrested with his son’s corpse. The CP said the case had been transferred to the State CID for further investigation. He said the suspect would be charged to court for murder.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Single dad accused of beating son 60 times with belt; admits to 30 times (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma)

Dad is identified as IZELL JOHNSON. 

http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/father-confesses-beating-child-belt-30-times/nZ68D/

Posted: 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013

Father confesses to beating child with a belt 30 times
By Michael Purdy

Broken Arrow, Okla. — A man is accused of hitting his son 60 times with a belt as a punishment on Sunday.

Broken Arrow police say Izell Johnson admitted to using a belt on his 14-year-old, but said he only hit him 30 times.

Either way, Johnson was arrested at the Villas At Aspen Park Apartments.

Officers were called out to the scene by a neighbor. Police say the neighbor heard the child being punished and called for help.

The neighbor then alerted Johnson the police were called.

Police say Johnson then took his three children to a friend's place and returned home.

Officers arrived to the apartments and found Johnson out in the parking lot.

Police say he first lied to them about his name multiple times. After a while, he leveled with officers and told them his wife had died a year earlier and he was just trying to take care of his kids.

Officers interviewed the child who said he was beaten 60 times with the belt. This is when Johnson said it was 30 times.

Police say the child had bruising and red marks. 

All three children were taken into protective custody.

Johnson is currently in the Tulsa County Jail.

Dad accused of beating 20-year-old son for potty-training accident (Lake Highlands, Texas)

Dad is identified as WESLEY GARTH. Notice there is no mention of a mother in the home or anywhere else, though there is mention of a grandmother. What happened to the mom? Is this a single father? Did he have custody? As usual, lots of silence.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2013/09/dallas-father-accused-of-popping-son-repeatedly-for-potty-training-accident.html/

Dallas father accused of ‘popping’ son repeatedly for potty-training accident

By Matt Peterson
2:42 pm on September 26, 2013
Staff writer Natalie Yezbick reports:

A Lake Highlands man has been arrested after police say he beat his 20-month-old son during potty-training.

Wesley Garth, 21, was taken into custody Tuesday on a third-degree felony charge of injury to a child, according to Dallas County records.

Garth admitted to police that he “popped” his son four or five times on the neck, twice on the thighs and twice on the rear when the the boy went to the bathroom in his diaper on July 9, court documents say. He also said he squeezed his son’s face when the child held food in his mouth.

The following day, the baby was in his grandmother’s care when she noticed bruises on his face, back and legs, the documents say. She contacted police, and the boy was taken to Medical City Hospital in Dallas and later referred to the clinic for at-risk children at Children’s Medical Center.

The child showed signs of muscle damage and physical abuse on his body and face, according to a pediatrician at UT Southwestern Medical School.

“The bruising is extensive and over multiple soft tissue surfaces of the body, which is caused by repeated blunt forces,” the doctor said in his medical assessment.

Garth was released Wednesday from the Dallas County Jail on $15,000 bail.

Dad caught on hidden camera swinging, punching, and choking infant son is sentenced (Costa Mesa, California)

Dad is identified as JOSHUA ALLEN ROBEY. We've reported on this sh** before. 

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-father-prison-swinging-son-neck-20130927,0,3928692.story

Dad caught on hidden camera swinging infant son by neck is sentenced

By Adolfo Flores

September 27, 2013, 12:29 p.m.

A Costa Mesa father caught on camera swinging his 2-month-old son by the neck with a blanket fashioned into a noose and punching, choking and shaking the infant was sentenced Friday to 13 years to life in state prison.

Joshua Allen Robey, 26, was found guilty in August of one felony count each of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, torture and child abuse with a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a child under the age of 5.

Robey attacked and attempted to kill his son in October 2011 while babysitting, unaware that his girlfriend had set up a hidden camera in her Anaheim home because she believed he was cheating on her, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.

At the time, Robey wasn’t living with his girlfriend and was staying at a hotel in Costa Mesa.

In the video, prosecutors said, Robey is captured wrapping a blanket around the infant’s neck and swinging him in the air for more than a minute.

Robey is then seen putting his son down and punching him several times with closed fists, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said he also grabbed his son by the throat with both hands, lifted him in the air and shook him. When the baby cried, he covered the child's mouth, grabbed him by the neck and shook him while holding him in the air, according to prosecutors.

Robey attempted to suffocate the baby by covering his face with a blanket and his mouth with his hand for several seconds and covered his nose and mouth with tape, prosecutors said.

The infant's mother saw the attack when she watched the video from the hidden camera and told her mother the next day. The grandmother took the baby to the hospital, where doctors determined he had sustained fractured ribs, bleeding to the brain and liver injuries.

Dad charged with beating 3-year-old son unconscious during visitation (Phoenix, Arizona)

Dad is identified as JAVIER "JUNIOR" JAIME. Notice that the girlfriend is not the mother, and that she and the father had been "taking care" of the boy for a week. So obviously, this is some kind of visitation situation. Whether it is "voluntary" or court-ordered is not explained. Nor is there any reference to the boy's mother here, and what her experience had been with the father. 

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/23550988/2013/09/27/father-allegedly-beats-3-year-old-with-belt

Report: Father faces child abuse charges after beating toddler with belt

Updated: Sep 27, 2013 3:55 PM EDT

By FOX 10 News - Staff Report

PHOENIX - A father faces child abuse charges after his 3-year-old son was seen covered in bruises and brought to a hospital unconscious.

20-year-old Javier "Junior" Jaime and his girlfriend were taking care of his 3-year-old son for a week in August.

A police report states Jaime called for help after his son was limp and unconscious on Aug. 30.

He claimed his son fell and hit his head in the bath tub.

However, the report reveals the boy told hospital staff "My dad made me hit my head because he got angry. He gets angry a lot."

And later told a hospital social worker, "Daddy made me bleed," and pointed to his upper lip.

The police report states the boy had bruises all over his body and peeling skin on his buttocks.

When Jaime was interviewed, he initially claimed that his son refuses to use the bathroom and was burned by hot water after he wet himself. He also said the boy is very difficult and that he hit him with a belt once.

Eventually, the report shows Jaime admitted to lying to the detective when he was first interviewed.

He allegedly told police he had beat his son with a belt on his buttocks two to three times a day for about two or three days before the day the boy went to the hospital.

The report also states Jaime told police he picked his son up from inside a bathtub and then dropped him back into the water, causing him to hit his head. He then claims he thought his son was having a seizure and called for help.

Jaime's girlfriend told police she allegedly saw him take his son into a bedroom and lock the door. She says he was angry and afterward, she could hear the child crying.

He was arrested and faces three counts of child abuse.

Dad gets prison for assaulting 6-week-old son; baby has life-long disabiliies (Monroe County, Michigan)

Dad is identified as TYLER L. STONE. Notice that the mother was asleep when Daddy assaulted the baby, and was never charged with any crime. Nevertheless, she has still lost custody. Mothers are typically held to freakishly high standards, while fathers get excuses. 

http://www.monroenews.com/news/2013/sep/27/father-faces-prison-case-involving-baby/

Monroe Father Faces Prison In Case Involving Baby
By Ray Kisonas

As of Friday, September 27, 2013, 09:44 p.m.

A teenaged father accused of shaking his baby so severely that it caused debilitating injuries made a legal agreement that is expected to put him jail for at least nine years.

Tyler L. Stoner, 18, of French­town Township has pleaded no contest to a charge of first-degree child abuse.

In an agreement with the Mon­roe County Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Stoner is expected to be sen­tenced to a minimum of nine years in prison.

In exchange for the plea the prosecutor’s office agreed to not file any additional criminal charges.

Mr. Stoner, who remains lodged in the county jail, is to be sentenced Oct. 10 by 38th Circuit Court Judge Michael W. LaBeau. His attorney, Russell Smith of Temperance, declined to com­ment.

The charge stems from a Jan. 19 assault when the child was 6 weeks old. Monroe County sheri­ff’s deputies reported that Mr. Stoner was caring for the child in the early morning while the baby’s mother slept. The parents, who are not married, took the baby to the hospital when he was unresponsive.

According to court records, the baby suffered life-threatening in­juries, including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, two broken arms and bro­ken toes. The child was kept on a life- support system and eventu­ally was weaned off a ventilator.

The baby’s mother was never accused of assaulting the child, police and court documents showed.

“The grief this girl has gone through was excruciating,” said the mother’s attorney, Cheryl E. Lohmeyer. “It’s heartbreaking.”

The child eventually was re­leased from the hospital and lives with a caregiver approved by the courts.

The baby is now nine months old and requires 24- hour care, suffers from seizures and receives all his nutrition from a feeding tube, according to Mon­roe County Probate Court records. The effects of the injuries are expected to be life-long and the baby might be permanently blind because of the bleeding be­hind his eyes.

The father voluntarily termi­nated his parental rights months ago, court records show. At first the mother tried to retain her rights and care for the child, ac­cording to court documents. But Ms. Lohmeyer said her client de­cided earlier this month voluntarily to terminate her parental rights also.

“That decision was very hard to make,” Ms. Lohmeyer said. “It was the best decision for the child. That was the most loving thing she should do.”

Prior to the decision, many supportive friends and relatives petitioned the court with hand­written letters in hopes to allow the young mother to continue to care for the child. She also kept a written journal about her visits to the hospital.

“I miss him so, so, so much,” she wrote in one entry. “ Today I got to hold ( him). Today was good.”

Two dads arrested in same county for abusing infants (Haywood County, North Carolina)

The general public is typically unaware of this, but research on shaken baby incidents consistently shows that fathers dominate as perpetrators, followed by boyfriends.

The most useful advise to prevent shaken baby abuse is to keep vulnerable infants out of the hands out hot-headed young males. But of course it's politically incorrect to say so.

The dads are identified as RAYMOND FLETCHER and RICKY WRIGHT.

http://www.wlos.com/news/features/featured/stories/shaken-baby-cases-1550.shtml

Shaken Baby Cases

Updated: Thursday, September 26 2013, 07:49 PM EDT

Two Haywood County fathers are accused of shaking their infant babies and causing serious harm. The incidents happened within days of each other and in the same area.

The Haywood County Sheriff's Office says the latest shaken baby case happened between September 12 and September 17 in a trailer park in Jonathan Creek. Deputies arrested 21-year-old Raymond Fletcher at his home on Ben Drive. He's charged with felony child abuse, accused of shaking and intentionally abusing his 5-month-old baby. Court documents indicate hematomas on the brain and a detached retina consistent with shaken baby syndrome. The baby was taken to Mission hospital in Asheville.

Neighbors say raising a baby can be stressful. But they say if you can't handle it, find help. Ask for your neighbor's help. "

Ask somebody. Ask your parents. I don't know the circumstances behind everything. However, I feel that when it comes to a child, the child should be thought of first and put first before anybody," said Donna Morgan.

Fletcher's arrest follows a similar case last week when 19-year-old Ricky Wright of Jonathan Creek was charged with shaking his 3-month-old. He faces the same charge of felony child abuse and intentionally harming the child.

The Haywood County Sheriff Office says it's a coincidence these two cases came back to back in the same area.

Detective James Marsh says they're not related and it's been years since the last shaken baby case.

"The last time we had a shaken baby case before this week in Haywood for the sheriff's office was in 2009," said Marsh.

Fletcher remains in jail on $50,000 bond. He has a court date scheduled for October 9th. Wright is scheduled to appear in court November 4th. Detective Marsh says if you suspect babies are being harmed, contact authorities.

By Rex Hodge

Dad finally arrested, charged with manslaughter in death of 4-year-old daughter (Fort Rucker, Alabama)

Dad is identified as BENJAMIN SCHRAD.

http://www.dothanfirst.com/story/ft-rucker-death-case-probe-takes-two-years/d/story/N349nL6A7UqAYOzUdHOS0w

Ft. Rucker Death Case Probe Takes Two Years

09/26/2013 13:57 PM 09/26/2013 14:08 PM 

It took two years after an investigation into the death of a young girl was launched before the child’s father was indicted for her death. Federal court documents show Benjamin Schrad was recently arrested in Nebraska and charged with manslaughter in the death of his four year old daughter, Emily. The indictment refers to Emily as only “ES”.

However, during a story aired on WDHN in 2011, Emily’s mother said she was told her ex-husband confessed to killing her four-year old daughter. The girl died August 1, 2011 while undergoing treatment at a Birmingham hospital for severe head injuries.

“One neurologist stated she would eat her stethoscope if (toxicology reports) came back as anything other than a malicious attack,” Vicki Schrad said during an interview aired a month after Emily died.

While Vicki said her husband first claimed the girl died due to an accident he later changed his story. “Until I became aware of the confession I said I don’t think he would be capable of such a thing. We were married for almost five years and never once did he display any anger,” she said.

Ms.Schrad indicated during the interview that she believes her husband, serving in the Army, was receiving preferential treatment. “If I’d done this I would have been in jail already. If I had confessed to murdering my child I would be put away no ifs, and, and buts about it,” she said.

However, the federal indictment claims Benjamin Schrad killed Emily without malice.

Dad charged with aggravated manslaughter in death of 11-week-old daughter; allegedly threw her (Bridgeton, New Jersey)

Dad is identified as ANDREW RIEGLER. Wonder why there is so much uncertaintly here as to who the baby's mother was? The house the baby was carried out of is identified as Riegler's, not as the couple's. I'm guessing the mother did not live with the father, and that some kind of custody/visitation issue was at play here. But as usual, there is no clarification.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/prosecutors-say-millville-baby-s-fatal-injuries-caused-when-father/article_4647d74e-2781-11e3-8cbb-001a4bcf887a.html

Prosecutors say Millville baby's fatal injuries caused when father threw her

Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013 10:32 am

By THOMAS BARLAS, Staff Writer

BRIDGETON – Andrew Rieger recklessly caused the death of his 11-week-old daughter in part by throwing the infant onto a couch at his home early on Sept. 12, prosecutors alleged in Superior Court here on Friday.

The infant then fell onto a wooden floor, suffering the head trauma that eventually caused her death at a hospital for children in Delaware two days later, Cumberland County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Aiello charged.

Aiello, speaking during Rieger’s arraignment in the Cumberland County courthouse here, did not comment to the court as to why the 25-year-old Millville man threw his daughter onto the couch. Aiello declined comment on that issue after the 10-minute court proceeding ended, saying she needed to further review the evidence in the case.

Rieger, of East Oak Road, is charged with aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held in the Cumberland County jail here on $1 million cash bail. Rieger wore an orange jail jump suit while being arraigned on those charges before Superior Court Judge Robert Malestein.

Rieger appeared frightened as he stood next to his attorney, Vincent Pancari of Vineland, and made no statements to the court.

Aiello declined to provide a name for Rieger’s daughter, identifying her during the proceedings only as “A.R.”

Some of Rieger’s neighbors identified Rieger’s girlfriend as the child’s mother. They did not know her name.

Aiello would not identify the woman on Friday. Aiello said some members of the woman’s family were in the courtroom for Friday’s proceedings. Those family members were whisked out of the courtroom by staff from the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office after the arraignment ended and were taken to a small conference room. Those family members left the court house without comment.

Millville police said they first learned of the girl’s predicament when they were called to Inspira Medical Center Vineland at 5 a.m. on Sept. 12 to investigate reports of what they called the youth’s “suspicious injuries.” They said the baby had been taken to the medical center from Rieger’s home via ambulance, although they would not say who called for the ambulance.

The baby was eventually transported to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., where she died on Sept. 14.

Rieger was originally charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to authorities. Rieger was charged with the offenses in Delaware after he went to the hospital in connection with the girl’s injuries, they said. Rieger was then lodged in the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington on $75,000 cash bail pending extradition to New Jersey, they said.

Rieger was charged with aggravated manslaughter on Sept. 16 after his daughter died. Rieger was also transferred from custody in Delaware to the county jail.

During Friday’s proceedings, Pancari entered pleas of not guilty on behalf Rieger. Vincari also said he had no comment regarding his client’s bail, a matter that would be dealt with later.

Pancari said the Prosecutor’s Office will give him all pre-indictment discovery, or evidence, regarding Rieger’s case.

“Right now, I don’t have anything in front of me,” Pancari said.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Dad accused of severely abusing 3-week-old baby (Grand Rapids, Michigan)

Dad is identified as DAVID JOSEPH STEIGER.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/09/sparta_father_turns_down_plea.html

Sparta father turns down plea offer, stands accused of causing 19 fractures to 3-week-old infant By Barton Deiters on September 25, 2013 at 4:44 PM, updated September 25, 2013 at 4:47 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The father of a baby doctors say had 19 bone fractures decided to turn down a plea offer that would have had him serving between two-and-a-half and 10 years in prison.

David Joseph Steiger now faces a potential life sentence on a charge of first-degree child abuse for allegedly breaking the bones of his son Jaxon around June 30 in northern Kent County.

Sparta police were called to a home on Gunn Street in Sparta to investigate a possible child abuse case.

During a police interview, 19-year-old Steiger allegedly admitted to “pushing” the baby’s legs and hearing a "pop." He told police the infants legs did not move right after that.

The couple took the 3-week-old child to a hospital on June 30 after he would not stop crying, police said.

Doctors say the child's femur and tibia in his left leg were broken and doctors also discovered 17 other fractures on the boy, according to police.

Investigators say Steiger admitted to “pushing” the child's legs and he also said the boy fell off a couch.

"Defendant admitted he could have caused the injuries, however he blacked out," a police investigator wrote in an affidavit.

Steiger allegedly told police that he and his wife were the child's only caregivers and claimed his wife was not responsible for any injuries.

Attorney Jessica Lowrey said during a Kent County Circuit Court hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that her client rejected the offer from Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Helen Brinkman, but negotiations would continue prior to a trial.

The prosecution offered to limit Steiger's sentence to a minimum of just more than two, but less than four years with a maximum sentence of 10 years if he would plead guilty as charged.

Government: No changes to help the kids of violent fathers (British Columbia, Canada)

Same old foot dragging. Even in the more "liberal" nations, children count for virtually nothing and violent daddies have all the rights. We're reported on PETER LEE and ALLAN SCHOENBORN before.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/years+children+still+vulnerable+watchdog+says/8962236/story.html

Six years on, B.C. children still vulnerable, watchdog says

By LINDSAY KINES, VICTORIA TIMES COLONIST
September 26, 2013 8:00 AM

VICTORIA - The B.C. government has yet to roll out a comprehensive strategy for protecting children from domestic violence more than six years after Christian Lee was murdered by his father in Oak Bay.

Children’s Representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond criticized the lack of progress this week, noting that government continues to miss deadlines.

“I was hoping to be able to come to this very first meeting after the last general election to say there was a plan, and that’s unfortunate that we do not have a plan,” she told the standing committee on children and youth.

“It certainly causes me some degree of despair that we haven’t made a lot of progress on one of the most important areas, which is domestic violence.”

Turpel-Lafond has been calling for a strategy since her 2009 report on Christian’s murder.

The six-year-old boy was stabbed to death by his father, Peter Lee, who also killed his wife, Sunny Park, and her parents before taking his own life in September 2007.

Turpel-Lafond again called for improvements in March 2012 in a similar report on the deaths of 10-year-old Kaitlynne Schoenborn and her brothers Max, 8, and Cordon, 5. The three children died at the hands of their mentally ill father, Allan Schoenborn, in Merritt in April 2008.

Turpel-Lafond concluded that the deaths of Christian and the Schoenborn children could have been prevented if police, justice, child welfare and other government agencies had worked together effectively.

Premier Christy Clark responded by standing in the legislature and apologizing to the Schoenborn children’s mother and family, and promising to do better.

Her government immediately announced a child domestic violence unit within the children’s ministry to drive change.

But Turpel-Lafond said this week that government has yet to follow through on a key recommendation to unveil a comprehensive domestic violence strategy by September 2012 and put it in action by April 2013.

“We are now in September 2013, and we do not have that plan,” Turpel-Lafond said this week.

“The day that report was released, the premier, Christy Clark, the minister, then Mary McNeil, and everyone was really pretty much united in the legislative assembly that this has to be done, and they committed to doing it on a timeline. But here we are in September 2013, and it’s not done.

“It continues to concern me, because we have domestic violence homicides of children,” Turpel-Lafond added. “Domestic violence is common in the lives of some of the most vulnerable children.”

Stephanie Cadieux, who replaced McNeil as children’s minister, was unavailable for an interview on Wednesday.

Instead, her office issued a statement in which Cadieux said the provincial domestic violence office had intended to roll out its three-year plan in June.

“However, considerable changes in government post-election resulted in extra time being taken to ensure new ministers, deputy ministers and staff were briefed,” the statement said.

“Further engagement with stakeholders is also necessary before the plan can be made available to the public.”

The ministry now expects to release the plan this fall.

“This plan is of the utmost importance to British Columbians and we want to ensure all affected ministries and service providers are on the same page before proceeding,” Cadieux said.

The ministry noted that 6,000 school employees, victim services workers, transition house staff and others have received training in how to recognize and respond to domestic violence.

The government has also launched pilot programs in Richmond and Vernon to evaluate protocols that address the safety of children and families dealing with untreated serious mental illness, problematic substance misuse and/or domestic violence.

Single dad faces 2nd-degree murder charges for leaving 1-year-old son in car (Scottsdale, Arizona)

I don't usually post stories about children left in hot cars. Most are accidents, caused by rushed parents who have had a sudden change in routine.

But this father DELIBERATELY left a 1-year old child in a car all day, then tries to throw in a lot of bogus excuses about not finding a babysitter.  Then he does suspicous things like not leaving the child food or water so there would be no mess in the car. Huh? Then he acts strangely and eratically when it comes to getting the baby medical help. He drives around looking for a hospital instead of calling 911--even when the kid is comotose?

Plus, what happened to the mother of this child? Notice that there is no mention of one, and it doesn't occur to anybody to ask why. How did this father, who frankly sounds like a flaky idiot, get custody? Who gave it to him? And what happened to Mom?

Dad is identified as BROKALE LYTTE MARQUES.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Child-left-in-car-dies-police-seek-murder-charge-against-father-225040112.html

Child left in car dies; father faces second-degree murder charge

by Jennifer Thomas Posted on September 24, 2013 at 9:05 AM
Updated yesterday at 9:14 AM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A Phoenix man accused of leaving his 1-year-old son in a car while he went to work Saturday morning faces a second-degree murder charge following the boy's death.

Brokale Lytte Marques, 28, previously was booked on counts of child abuse, child neglect and endangerment. He is being held on a cash-only $500,000 bond. He is due in court for a status conference on Oct. 1 and a preliminary hearing on Oct. 3.

Marques told police that he was required to work one Saturday a month and he forgot that it was his required day. He was rushing and did not give his son breakfast, only giving him a half cup of water. He said he was unable to drive to the baby sitter's home in Glendale and was unable to locate a sitter using Craigslist.

He left Markale in the car with the engine running and the air conditioning on while he went to work near Scottsdale Road and the Greenway-Hayden Loop, according to police.

Marques told police that he did not leave his son with water or food because he would have spilled it all over and made a mess.

Between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Marques went to a fast-food restaurant for lunch and said Markale seemed fine at that point. Police said he then returned to work.

Marques told police that he did not believe it was good for the car's engine to be left running for an extended period of time so he decided to turn it off, according to the court paperwork. Believing the car was cool enough for the child, he left the windows rolled up and the doors locked with his son secured in the car seat. He found Markale unconscious and sweaty when he went out to check on him at 2 p.m.

Marques drove around looking for a hospital. He told police he did not want to wait for medical personnel. He was unable to find one so he pulled into the Scottsdale Quarter and found a security officer who called 911.

The child was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Police said life-sustaining measures were discontinued late Monday night.

Court documents say during the investigation, Marques talked about his custom car, tried to joke with officers and did not ask about the welfare of his child.

Based on their investigation, detectives said Marques was aware that he had to work on Saturday and had more than enough time to secure a baby sitter.

Marques' place of employment told detectives that he was made aware on Sept. 1 that he would have to work on Saturday.

Detectives said Markale's sitter was surprised that Marques did not bring Markale over that day because the sitter knew he had to work and was expecting the child. The sitter told police that Marques had dropped off Markale every Saturday except one for the past two months.

When asked why he didn't attempt to have the baby sitter, a relative or a friend pick up his son from his work, Marques said he felt the child was his responsibility to take care of and did not want to inconvenience anybody.

"A car is not a playpen," said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. "On a hot day a car very well can wind up being an oven and ultimately a coffin for a small child."

After speaking with the baby sitter, detectives learned that in the past, Marques had left his son at the sitter's home without picking him up, failed to call and check on his welfare, and failed to provide enough food and diapers.

Dad arrested for allegedly beating 5-month-old baby (Colorado Springs, Colorado)

Dad is identified as CHRISTOPHER MAZZARELI.

http://www.fox21news.com/news/story.aspx?id=951010

Father arrested on suspicion of abusing 5-month-old baby

by Majo Mansilla
Posted: 09.25.2013 at 5:43 AM Updated: 09.25.2013 at 9:05 AM

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A Colorado Springs man was arrested for allegedly beating his child.

Colorado Springs police said officers were dispatched to Memorial Hospital Monday, regarding a child abuse incident.

The investigation revealed a 5-month-old baby had sustained non accidental head trauma, according to the Crimes Against Children Unit.

Detectives identified the father of the child as the suspect. Christopher Mazzareli was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of Felony Child Abuse.

At this time, there's no word on the condition of the infant.

Dad in court for possessing child porn fournd during raid (United Kingdom)

Dad is identified as CHARLES HEATON.. He has "lost contact with his young son," so the mother apparently does not live with him if she ever did. Thank goodness for that. Hopefully, he will continue to have no contact.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/shame-of-father-caught-with-child-abuse-pictures-1-6084254

Shame of father caught with child abuse pictures

Published on the 25 September 2013

A MAN who downloaded 372 indecent images of children told police he had made a “stupid mistake”.

Charles Heaton, 39, downloaded pictures of children aged from two to 15, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The images were found on a computer during a police raid on Heaton’s home in January last year.

Heaton, of Hollingthorpe Road, Hall Green, Wakefield, admitted 11 charges of making indecent photographs of a child.

Most of the photos were graded level one - the least serious - with 12 at level two, 11 level three and 22 at level four.

Prosecutor, Catherine Moxon said Heaton told police during interview that he acted “out of curiosity and ease of access”.

Mrs Moxon added: “It spiralled out of control. He said he had started out on adult sites. He said it had been a stupid mistake.”

The court heard Heaton has lost his job and has lost contact with his young son.

Ian Cook, mitigating, said: “The punishment started long before he reached this court and he is thoroughly ashamed of himself.”

Judge Christopher Batty sentenced Heaton to a three-year community order with supervision and said it is envisaged he wil be required to take part in an internet sex offender treatment programme. Heaton’s name will be on the sex offender register for five years.

Judge Batty told him: “Those children whose images you were looking at, they were someone’s daughter.

“Could you ever begin to imagine your son being in that position? It is because of people like you who watch and download those that these children are abused. If there was no market for it they wouldn’t do it.

“It is impossible to comprehend what these children have gone through.”

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Custodial dad, gal pal arrested for allegedly starving, isolating, abusing 5-year-old daughter (Suring, Wisconsin)

Once again, you have to read carefully. This is the father's child. The girl friend is not the mother. The little girl is specifically identified in the first paragraph as "his" daughter. Not "their" daughter.

What is not anwered here: How did these sick pups get custody of this little girl? Who gave it to them? What happened to the girl's mother? Is she dead or "missing"? That should be a red flag right there. Or was she outmanoevered by some slick lawyers in cahoots with the courts?

Dad is identified as SHAWN L. PAHOLKE.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20130924/GPG0101/309240330/Criminal-complaint-Oconto-Co-couple-s-abuse-left-5-year-old-girl-severely-malnourished

Criminal complaint: Oconto Co. couple's abuse left 5-year-old girl severely malnourished

  Sep. 24, 2013

Written by Kent Tempus
Gannett Wisconsin Media

A Suring man and his then-live-in girlfriend who allegedly starved, isolated and threatened to cut off the hands of his 5-year-old daughter are facing a total of 23 felony charges.

Another daughter, who is 7, suffered third degree burns after being tied up and left outside for hours in the hot sun, according to criminal complaints filed against Shawn L. Paholke, 33, and Jennifer Fendryk, 31.

Paholke and Fendryk, who were arrested after interviews on Sept. 13, are being held at the Oconto County Jail on $250,000 bond following an initial appearance Monday.

The alleged abuse came to light May 23, when the Oconto County Department of Health and Human Services was notified about the welfare of the 5-year-old. Following an exam on May 14, a physician told Paholke he had “extreme concern” over her condition and recommended she be taken to a hospital immediately. She was not.

The girl weighed only 24 pounds, nearly half the minimum of 40 pounds for a 5-year-old, the complaint said.

Authorities took the girl to St. Vincent Hospital, where a physician referred her for immediate transfer to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee for treatment for severe malnutrition. She arrived there on May 24 and was placed in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

In an interview on Sept. 11, the girl said she “is locked in her bedroom all the time and only gets out” when Paholke “makes her scrub the floors and makes her exercise by doing jumping jacks and other things. He then locks her back in her room.”

The girl also said she is not allowed to have any toys or play with anyone. The girl also she cut her chin when Paholke dragged her on the floor, which medical records indicated occurred in September 2012. Another time, she said, both Paholke and Fendryk used a knife and were going to cut off her hands.

The complaint doesn’t note if there were specific injuries to the girl’s arm.

In July 2012, the older daughter said Paholke used black zip ties to tie her hands to a pole next to the family’s pool on a very hot day. She also said that Paholke, Fendryk and Fendryk’s son swam while she was tied up.

The girl said she didn’t have anything to drink all day and passed out, and woke up in a cold shower with a burn on her arm. Her father took her to St. Vincent on July 9 and was treated for a third degree burn to her elbow, a second degree burn to her upper arm and a right shoulder strain.

Paholke and Fendryk face the same seven charges relating to the younger daughter: first degree reckless injury, three counts of child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, first degree recklessly endangering safety, false imprisonment and mental harm to a child.

They face different charges in connection to the July 2012 incident involving the older child. Paholke was charged with second degree reckless injury, false imprisonment, mental harm to child, physical abuse of a child and child neglect resulting in great bodily harm.

Fendryk was charged with child neglect causing great bodily harm, false imprisonment, failure to act to prevent bodily harm to a child and mental harm to a child.

The charges carry maximum prison sentences of three years, six months to 25 years in prison. They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 2.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Dad convicted of sexual abuse against 16-year-old daughter (Belize)

UNNAMED DAD. No mention of a mother in the home.

http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=26596

Daughter’s Testimony of Abuse Sends Father To Jail

posted (September 23, 2013)

This morning, a 56 year old father was convicted aggravated assault of an indecent nature, and sentenced to three years in prison by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. We can't give you names or show you his face, but during the in camera trial, the victim, his now 16 year old daughter, testified that on March 24, her father fondled her breast and that that was not the first time, but the second. The child told the court that after the incident, she told her brother, who then took her to the police to report the matter. But in court, the father told the court that he was innocent of the crime and the only reason the child made up that story about him was because he and one of her brothers had a misunderstanding earlier.

The trial started last Thursday and this morning, when the father was returned to court, he was convicted of the crime and sentenced to three years.

Boy who survived dad's homicidal rampage sues Florida child welfare (Broward County, Florida)

Will Florida's DCF finally be held acountable for placing children with violent fathers?

We've covered this case before. UNNAMED DAD here, but is identified elsewhere on Dastardly Dads.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/09/23/3646112/survivor-of-brutal-attack-by-dad.html

Boy in brutal Deerfield attack by dad sues DCF

By Carol Marbin Miller

A boy who was stabbed nearly to death by his own father during a 2012 rampage at a Deerfield Beach trailer park has sued Florida child welfare administrators, claiming the state returned him to his parents, who had been accused of repeatedly molesting him, despite mounting evidence the boy was terrified of them.

The boy, who is not being named to protect his privacy, survived a February 2012 attack that claimed the life of his autistic, 9-year-old brother, as well as that of a Canadian snowbird. The boy’s father also stabbed his wife and held the snowbird’s girlfriend hostage before killing himself.

The boy later told police his mother “watched the attacks” and did nothing to protect her sons, the lawsuit says.

On Monday, the now-9-year-old boy sued the Department of Children & Families, along with four other privately run foster care agencies under contract with DCF, for negligence. The 24-page suit was filed in Broward Circuit Court. The boy was removed from his mother’s care after the rampage, and authorities announced they would seek to permanently sever his mother’s rights to raise him.

Advocates view the tragedy as symptomatic of larger issues within Florida’s child protection system, which has emphasized preserving and reunifying troubled families as a way to keep caseloads down and save taxpayer money. This summer, after four children known to DCF later died from abuse or neglect, then-DCF Secretary David Wilkins resigned amid mounting pressure. His interim replacement, Esther Jacobo, announced the department would study the four death cases, and many others, as well as a controversial child welfare “transformation” Wilkins was spearheading.

A DCF spokeswoman declined to discuss the lawsuit Monday.

Weeks after the 2012 bloodbath, DCF’s top lawyer issued a short report saying the department acted correctly, and that the agency had no choice but to return the two boys to their parents. The parents had completed a laundry list of tasks that were intended to improve their parenting skills, and there was no legal justification for keeping their children from them.

The lawsuit says the department overlooked a mountain of warning signs that the boys would never be safe with his parents.

State child welfare authorities “ignored multiple red flags and still returned [the boy] and his brother to their father, who already had been determined to be a dangerous pedophile,” said Joel Fass, a Fort Lauderdale attorney whose firm filed the suit.

Added Fass’ partner, Howard Talenfeld: “This is one of the most egregious cases in DCF history. Instead of learning valuable lessons that may have prevented one or more of the recent deaths, DCF whitewashed their reviews of this case.”

The two boys’ contact with state child protection authorities began in September 2007, when the father choked his wife and punched a hole in the wall during an episode of domestic violence. He had been violent with his wife before, she told police, choking, pushing, and stabbing her. DCF offered the family services, but did not shelter the two boys.

DCF received another report on the family in February 2008, alleging the father had been sexually abusing both his sons. His wife confirmed to police the abuse had occurred, and added: “The mother said she acted alongside the father” as the boys were molested, the suit says. Both sons were placed in foster care, where they remained until June 17, 2010, when they were returned to their parents. The mom had recanted her molestation claims.

The lawsuit claims the state erred terribly in reunifying the boys with their parents because the agency had learned child welfare authorities in New York had confirmed allegations that the father had molested a son in that state; both of the couple’s sons in Florida exhibited clear signs of having been molested; the surviving son had previously written a note expressing fear of having to return to his father; the child suffered recurring nightmares, including one involving a “monster” under his bed that he acknowledged was his father; and the positive home study DCF gave to a judge in support of the reunification had “recklessly” omitted several facts that were inconvenient.

“The reasons for removal have been remedied, and the safety, well-being and physical and emotional health of the children is not endangered by allowing the children to be reunified or [to] remain in the custody of the parents,” a legal pleading said.

After the reunification, the younger boy had told a therapist that his father had locked him in a bathroom, and forced him to sleep there overnight. The boy’s therapist told him “not to tell lies that could affect his parents,” the lawsuit said. The therapist never reported the child’s claim to the state’s abuse hotline.

Dad arrested for abusing 8-month-old daughter (Oxnard, California)

No mention of the baby's mother. Dad is identified as JOEL SOTO.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Oxnard-Man-Charged-with-Child-Abuse-224792072.html

Man Abused His 8-Month-Old Daughter: Police

Joel Soto, 24, was arrested Saturday on allegations that he abused his 8-month-old daughter

By Kyler Jae | Sunday, Sep 22, 2013 | Updated 3:47 PM PDT

A 24-year-old father from Oxnard was arrested in connection with physically abusing his 8-month-old daughter, police said.

Joel Alejandro Soto was booked into a Ventura County jail on felony child abuse charges, according to a police press release and Ventura jail records online.

Police learned about the case, they said, when they got information that Soto’s 8-month-old daughter had been hurt by her father.

She was treated at a hospital for wounds to her head, face and leg. Her condition was not known on Sunday.

Missing 9-month-old son of custodial dad found dead; dad waited two weeks to report baby's disappearance (Utica, New York)

Mothers, please don't leave your babies with sperm donors, especially sperm donors with violent criminal records.  They make terribly infant caretakers, and should never have custody. Almost any older female relative is a much better choice, statistically speaking. Unfortunately, the courts will fail to back you up on this should the sperm donor object.

Dad is idnetified as JEVON WAMELING.

We're reported on this case before.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2429115/Levon-Wameling-dead-Body-baby-boy-reported-missing-June-container-New-York-state-river.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Body of baby boy reported missing in June is found in container in New York state river after tip off

The remains of Levon Wameling, 9 months, were found in a container in an upstate New York river on September 6

His father Jevon Wameling reported him missing in June, two weeks after he disappeared

 Medical examiner hasn't released cause of death and the investigation into who killed him is ongoing

Jevon had custody while Levon's mother Amy Warney was in drug rehab

By Anna Sanders

PUBLISHED:12:02 EST, 22 September 2013| UPDATED: 12:02 EST, 22 September 2013

The body of missing baby boy has been discovered in a container in an upstate New York river.

Authorities confirmed on Saturday that remains found near Utica earlier this month belonged to 10-month-old Levon Wameling.

In June, Levon's father, Jevon Wameling, told his parents, who then told police, the child was taken from his porch two weeks earlier but he failed to report his son missing at the time.

State police divers found the child's body in the Mohawk River on September 6, after a tip off.

Following extensive DNA testing, the Onondaga County medical examiner's office in Syracuse verified the baby was Levon, police said on Saturday.

The medical examiner, however, hasn't provided a cause of death, CNN reported.

Sergeant Steve Hauck said the police were determined to get to the bottom of the baby's death.

'The Utica Police continue to investigate this case, with the hope that the truth will be learned and the person(s) responsible are held accountable,' Hauck said in a statement.

Last month, Wameling was arrested on suspicion of breaking into a home in a suburb of Utica to steal jewelry and money.

Hauck hasn't said whether the father had anything to do with the tip leading police to the remains. He did however say police had questions about the man's involvement from the start.

In June, Levon's mother, Amy Warney, pleaded for help finding her son, who was last seen May 29 by his father.

Wameling, 27, waited nearly two weeks to report his son missing, according to the The Utica Observer-Dispatch.

'I would like to ask anybody that's out there if you know where he is, or if he's alive or dead, just please call the Utica police Station so I can just put him to rest,' Warney said through tears at a June news conference.

Dead: Police in Utica, New York, discovered the body of missing 9-month-old Levon Wameling, right, on September 6, months after his father Jevon Wameling finally reported him missing

'Just please, don't be scared. Just if you know anything, just please contact somebody.'

Levon's grandparents reported him missing to the Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, who immediately notified police, according to WKTV.

After his son was reported missing, Wameling told police Levon disappeared two weeks earlier when Wameling left the baby unattended on the front porch wearing nothing but a diaper. Wameling said he left the baby alone while he was trying to get back into his home after locking himself out.

Police said Wameling came forward only after Levon's mother asked where her child was.

'Here's the thing, we have a problem with what he says,' Utica Chief Mark Williams said at the time.

'Here’s a guy that waited two weeks to come forward. He doesn't bring it forward to the police, but brings it forward to his parents. Instead he goes to an attorney's office. I think actions speak louder than words.'

A large scale search ensued for the boy with a state police helicopter hovering over the neighborhood where Levon was last seen and K-9 units continued to hunting for him on the ground.

In addition to state and local authorities, the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Oneida County District Attorney's Office assisted in the search effort.

Williams told CNN that the father's delay is only making it harder for them to find the child.

'When you have a missing child, there's all these difficult cases,' he said. 'But when you're two weeks behind, it's nearly impossible.'

Despite the father's 'suspicious' behavior, authorities' focus has been to find Levon.

'We obviously have very grave concerns about the child. First and foremost, is where this child?' Hauck told YNN at the time. 'We need to know what happened. Wherever the evidence leads us is where we're going to go. If we find a crime was committed, then we're going to take appropriate steps to bring that person to justice. But right now, our biggest concern is finding this child.'

Though he is not a suspect, police said they are are treating Wameling as a 'person of interest'.

Levon was staying with his father while Warney was at a drug rehabilitation facility, police said.

'As far as she knew, the child was being cared for by Jevon and was doing fine,' Hauck told The Observer-Dispatch.

Levon's father has a criminal history.

Wameling was charged with resisting arrest, escaping police custody and harassment in May 2010 after being arrested for allegedly possessing metal knuckles, according to WKTV.

In 2009, he was convicted of marijuana possession. Neighbors told the station the cops were called to Wameling's home on a 'weekly basis' because of screaming.

Custodial dad, his mother charged in torture murder of 8-year-old daughter; mother of murdered girl had been trying to regain custody (Chicago, Illinois)

Interesting, in that all the discussion here is focused on how responsible the father was for the beatings and torture of this girl, his daughter. If he "merely" supervised or ordered his own mother to do it or what.

Of course, I kept wondering what had happened to this poor girl's mother. And how it was that these two pieces of sh** had two other children in their clutches. How did they get possession of them?

And then we see at the very end that the murdered girl's mother had been trying to regain custody.

So the great ignored question here should be the following: Who gave these violent freaks custody and why? How?

I don't know anything about the mother, but I can imagine she was worst than the the custodial father and his mummy.

THIS is what needs to be investigated. Who was the judge? The social workers, psychologists who set up this murder by placing this poor little girl with these sadistic sickos? We need names.

Dad is identified as ANDRE FORD.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/09/23/bedridden-dad-charged-with-ordering-daughters-murder/

Bedridden Man Charged With Ordering Torture Of Daughter Who Died

September 23, 2013 9:13 AM

Andre Ford and his mother, Helen Ford, are charged with murder in the death of his 8-year-old daughter, Gizzell Ford, who was beaten, tortured, and strangled. (Credit: Cook County Sheriff)

CHICAGO (STMW) – When a skeletal Andre Ford was wheeled into court last week, even prosecutors said the ailing man was too frail to beat the 8-year-old daughter he is accused of murdering.

But what Ford couldn’t do with his hands, he did with his mouth, allegedly mandating the sadistic punishments and vicious beatings that led up to Gizzell Ford’s strangulation, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

When Ford wasn’t ordering the child to suck up her urine to atone for wetting herself, or be harnessed to his bed, he just watched his mother torture Gizzell in their Austin home, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Bridget O’Brien said.

Ford’s arrest isn’t unusual under Illinois’ accountability statute, legal experts said.

“It doesn’t matter if he didn’t pick up a belt and hit the child himself. If you hire a hit man, they [prosecutors] aren’t necessarily [just going] to go after the person who pulled the trigger,” explained Bruce Boyer, director of Civitas ChildLaw Clinic at Loyola University’s Law School.

Ford, 28, was hardly a bystander, according to prosecutors and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which just completed a report that indicated both Andre and Helen Ford abused and neglected Gizzell and two other children in their care.

But even if Andre Ford — who suffers from the chronic degenerative disease of scleroderma — just observed the family matriarch beat Gizzell and deprive her of food and water, he would still be as culpable as others who allow such atrocities to happen to children, authorities said.

“It doesn’t happen everyday but we do charge people on the theory of accountability,” said Sally Daly, a spokeswoman with the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Just last April, Angela Petrov, of Rogers Park, was charged with murder after her 5-month-old daughter died, succumbing to the injuries she suffered when the infant’s father allegedly suffocated her.

Petrov saw Rigoberto Rodriguez put his hands over the crying baby’s mouth repeatedly until her body went limp, but Petrov did “nothing” except sit in a chair and watch, prosecutors said at the couple’s bond hearing in the spring.

While numerous family members of murdered children have been put behind bars for their failure to intervene, in 2002 the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the murder conviction of Tabitha Pollock, who was sleeping in another room when her boyfriend killed her 3-year-old daughter.

Pollock’s lawyers argued she didn’t know her partner was beating the child and couldn’t anticipate the murder.

Similarly, in hopes of clearing his name, Andre Ford’s defense attorneys will probably maintain that he was unaware of the abuse, but that will be difficult to do if prosecutors can demonstrate that Gizzell was beaten over a period of time, Boyer said.

Gizzell was allegedly discovered by paramedics lying in her tattered underwear in her father’s blood splattered bedroom. She had maggots in a head wound and bruises, scratches, lacerations and punctures all over her body, prosecutors said last week.

Andre and Helen Ford were the only two adults living at the residence, in the 5200 block of South Adams, authorities said.

The gruesome accusations against Gizzell’s father may eventually be proven but one law professor warned that details given at bond hearings are many times an “exaggeration” of the evidence.

“Skepticism is justified in this stage,” said Jeffrey Urdangen, a law professor who directs Northwestern University’s Center for Criminal Defense.

Andre Ford was charged two months after his mother because investigators were trying to piece together how Gizzell ended up with her numerous injuries, Daly said.

Andre Ford’s case is unusual in that his skin-hardening immune disorder has evoked some doubt about whether he is capable of the evil he accused of, according to child welfare advocates.

“They were saying, ‘How is that possible? He’s bedridden,’” a source familiar with the case said.

But sickness is not enough of an excuse if prosecutors can prove that Andre Ford didn’t help Gizzell, Boyer said.

“You don’t have to physically wrestle the person who is swinging the club,” the law professor said.

“Pick up the phone, tell a neighbor.”

Andre Ford initially told authorities that Gizzell’s injuries were self-inflicted, but he later admitted he kept her from going to a summer camp to keep others from seeing her battered body, prosecutors said. He also allegedly told detectives he never called 911 because he was afraid he’d be blamed for his daughter’s wounds.

Andre Ford, who was ordered held without bond, has since been transferred to a local hospital for treatment.

Helen Ford, 52, is also awaiting trial in Cook County Jail.

Gizzell’s mother, who sought to regain custody of the girl after she went to live with the Fords last year, could not be reached for comment, according to court records.

The two other children who were in the Fords’ home have been since placed in foster case, DCFS spokesman Dave Clarkin said.

Dad charged with felony endangerment for injuries inflicted on 3-month-old son (Des Moines, Iowa)

Dad is identified as ROBERT TAYLOR.

http://www.woi-tv.com/story/23509820/father-charged-in-shaken-baby-syndrome-case

Father Charged In Shaken Baby Syndrome Case

Posted: Sep 23, 2013 11:10 PM EDT Updated: Sep 23, 2013 11:56 PM EDT

By: Sabrina Ahmed

A three month old baby boy was taken to the hospital with what officials originally thought was a breathing problem because he was born prematurely, but when they got there, medical staff quickly realized the problems were much worse than that.

When emergency officials were first called to a house in Des Moines on September 11th, the police were only there as a precaution.

"He had been born premature and he had been experiencing breathing problems since he'd been born," Sgt. Jason Halifax said.

But when the three month old child got to the hospital, doctors discovered these breathing problems weren't the same as ones from the past, and the child was air lifted to Iowa City.

That's where doctors found the boy had severe head trauma associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Now, almost two weeks later, police and doctors have finished their investigation and say they know who is at fault.

"Unfortunately with kids, it's not usually a quick thing," Halifax said.

They arrested the boy's father, Robert Taylor. He's been charged with child endangerment causing serious injury, a felony that carries with it up to ten years in prison.

"A no contact order is going to be put on and obviously your choice, as a responsible parent, has to be with your child," Halifax said.

The little boy is getting stronger, and is expected to be okay.

"Responding to treatment, is still alive today, and is doing better."

Dad threatening family commits suicide as SWAT team neared (Ocklawaha, Florida)

This kind of Daddy Drama seems to be getting more common. Thank goodness Daddy didn't manage to murder his wife and kids in all this, like the father in Rice, Texas.

Dad is identified as KEVIN ROGER BAILEY.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20130922/ARTICLES/130929931

Man threatening family killed self as SWAT neared, report says

By Rick Allen Staff writer Published: Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 2:19 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, September 22, 2013 at 2:19 p.m.
A 34-year-old Ocklawaha man who reportedly was threatening his family with a gun and a knife committed suicide early Sunday as members of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team closed in on him, according to a sheriff’s office media release.

Deputies were called about 1:30 a.m. because Kevin Roger Bailey was brandishing the weapons “in a threatening manner” near 12220 SE 124th Court in Ocklawaha, according to the release. Several members of his family were injured. “

As deputies arrived, Bailey reportedly fired the weapon. It’s not known if Bailey aimed at law enforcement,” the release stated. After firing, Bailey reportedly ran into a nearby woods.

The SWAT team was called, and as members of the unit moved closer to finding Bailey, “he committed suicide,” according to the release. The investigation is continuing.

Dad kills 3 kids, wife in murder-suicide (Rice, Texas)

What happens when violence against women and children is not taken as an important matter by the police or the courts. Seriously, what is the point of calling the police and reporting an assault, when the POS is going to get out of jail in less than 48 hours, and now he's more pissed off than ever?
Dad is identified as ISRAEL CHAIREZ ALVAREZ.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/23/us-usa-crime-texas-idUSBRE98M0TE20130923

Five dead, including three children, in Texas murder-suicide: police

By Karen Brooks AUSTIN, Texas | Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:56am EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A family of five, including three children, was found dead in their north Texas home, all shot in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities said on Monday.

The official cause of death for the children, ages 10, 8 and 4, and their parents, Israel Chairez Alvarez and Guadalupe Ronquillo-Ovalle, both 33, was not immediately released.

All five had suffered gunshots to their upper torsos when they were found Sunday evening in their home in a rural area outside Rice, Texas, a tiny community 45 miles southeast of Dallas, Navarro County Sheriff Elmer Tanner said.

A .22-caliber semi-automatic long rifle was found at the scene, he said. Police were investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide but did not release information on who they believe pulled the trigger, according to Tanner.

Police discovered their bodies after receiving a call from a man reporting that his family was dead, according to a sheriff's department news release late Sunday.

Tanner did not release any information on the caller, saying the case was still under investigation.

Alvarez had been arrested on September 11 on misdemeanor assault charges after getting into a fight with his wife, Ronquillo-Ovalle, Tanner said. He was released after two days in jail.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Dad arrested on felony child abuse charges for injuries inflicted on 8-year-old daughter (Oxnard, California)

Dad is identified as JUAN JESUS MARTINEZ.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/09/19/oxnard-father-33-accused-of-felony-child-abuse/

Oxnard Father, 33, Accused Of Felony Child Abuse

September 19, 2013 9:38 PM

OXNARD (CBSLA.com) — A 33-year-old Oxnard man has been arrested and accused of felony child abuse.

Juan Jesus Martinez was arrested by the Oxnard Police Department’s Family Protection Unit.

Officials said they received information that an 8-year-old girl had been “hurt” by her father.

Detectives went to a home in the 1200 block of Isleton Place and interviewed the alleged victim around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The girl told investigators that her father was responsible for her injuries.

The injuries to the girl were not disclosed. Martinez is being held at Ventura County Jail.

His bail was set at $100,000.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Dad indicted on murder charges in beating death of 6-month-old daughter (Yonkers, New York)

Mom sounds like one of those battered women who are deeply in denial and drugged up on fundamentalist religion. She acted pretty much like the doormat that the father rights people hold up as the model for all mothers, and yet she's probably going to go to jail anyway for "failing" to stop this piece of sh**. She finally woke up enough to call 911, but it was too late.

Dad is identified as CLARENCE THOMAS.

http://www.lohud.com/article/20130918/NEWS02/309180048/Yonkers-father-charged-murder-infant-daughter-s-death

Yonkers father charged with murder in infant daughter's death

Aug. 26, 2013

Written by Erik Shilling

In case you missed it: A Yonkers man has been indicted on murder charges in the death of his 6-month-old daughter, who authorities said died in March after sustaining numerous head injuries.

Clarence Thomas, 31, had cared for the girl for months, despite, authorities said, a long history of bruises showing up on the girl’s body, warning signs the girl’s mother, identified as Kayan Johns, 31, of the Bronx, ignored.

Johns was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, named Natalia Johns. The charges against Thomas, which include second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, reckless assault of a child, and second-degree assault, were upgraded by prosecutors after his initial March arrest, when he was only charged with assault.

Both Thomas and Johns were arraigned last week in Westchester County Court in White Plains. Thomas was being held without bail Monday in the Westchester County jail in Valhalla, where Johns was also being held on $7,500 bond.

“These parents, the father by his direct actions and the mother by her denial of any abuse, directly led to the death of their six month old daughter,” Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said in a statement.

Lawyers for the two could not be immediately reached for comment, but in statements to police, Thomas denied being responsible for the tot’s death, saying that the infant began “stiffening up” and having trouble breathing around 2 a.m. on March 14, 2013.

“Kayan suggested that we take her to the hospital,” Thomas told police. “I told her that I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep for a few minutes.”

Four hours later, Thomas said, Kayan woke him up in a panic. Natalia had stopped breathing, and her face was pale and her lips purple. Her body was also limp, and her eyes were closed, Thomas said.

Kayan Johns then called 911, and an ambulance took Natalia to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers, where she died.

Thomas’s statement to police contradicted what he first told an officer at the scene, around an hour after they found Natalia unresponsive, when he said that the baby fell off the bed.

Authorities said at the time of Thomas’s arrest that he later admitted to shaking her “because she would not stop crying.” An autopsy later showed the child had suffered brain damage and intracranial bleeding consistent with being shaken.

Authorities have contended that the girl died after various head traumas inflicted by Thomas over a sustained period of time. Natalia is the second infant to die in the care of Johns and Thomas, following the 2010 death of Malique Jacob Thomas, a 3-month-old who Thomas said died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome after apparently choking on his formula.

In her own statements to police, Kayan Johns hinted at trouble in their relationship, saying that she had forgiven Thomas for an unspecified previous domestic violence incident, because “she is a born again Christian.”

Thomas faces up to life in prison if convicted, while Johns faces up to a year in county jail. Both are due back in court Sept. 9.

Custodial dad, step allegedly too drunk to save 18-month-old daughter after she ingested dishwashing detergent (Huntsville, Alabama)

Why was this little girl apparently in the custody of her alcoholic father and his new wife? What happened to her mother? Not one word of explanation here.

Dad is identified as KRISTOPHER JOSEPH SPEIGNER.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/09/parents_were_too_drunk_to_help.html

Parents were too drunk to help child, who died after swallowing dishwashing detergent, Madison police say

By Paul Gattis on September 19, 2013 at 12:19 PM, updated September 19, 2013 at 2:26 PM

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- An 18-month-old girl died last year after ingesting dishwashing detergent and her parents were both too intoxicated to help her, according to court records filed today.

Kristopher Joseph Speigner, 31, and Joy Lynn Speigner, 29, were arrested this week after a year-long investigation into the Sept. 30, 2012 death of McKenzie Riegn Speigner. Both Kristopher and Joy have been charged with criminal negligent homicide.

Madison Police Capt. John Stringer said the crime of criminally negligent homicide is a misdemeanor punishable by no more than one year in jail.

In a Sept. 9 affidavit that was filed today in Madison County District Court, Madison Police Sgt. Drew Westrope testified that the girl swallowed dishwashing detergent that was in tablet form at an apartment on Colonial Lake Drive in Madison.

Her father and her stepmother, both of whom have an Enterprise address, "did not seek medical help" for the child "due to (their) state of intoxication, which was the result of ingesting pharmaceutical medication and drinking alcohol," according to the affidavits filed in each case.

Police received a call for an unresponsive child on Sept. 30, 2012 and her parents, Kristopher and Joy Speigner, told police that the child had ingested a toxic substance.

Kristopher was arrested on Monday and Joy turned herself in to police on Tuesday.

Dad charged with homicide in death of 2-month-old daughter (North Las Vegas, Nevada)

Dad is identified as JOSHUA CHINN.

http://www.mynews3.com/content/news/story/chinn-north-las-vegas-police-arrest-infant/d51Zxj_-okO2kz5710TmLA.cspx

North Las Vegas police make arrest in infant's death

Published: 6:14 am
Updated: 6:17 am

NORTH LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) – A man has been arrested in connection with the death of his 2-month-old child.

According to a news release from the North Las Vegas Police Department, detectives arrested Joshua Chinn, 19, of North Las Vegas on Sept. 12 after a six-month long investigation.

The investigation began March 12 when officers responded to UMC Hospital in reference to a 2-month-old baby in extremely critical condition with multiple internal injuries. She was reportedly transported by ambulance from her home in the 3600 block of Turquoise Waters Avenue.

It was initially reported to police that the child’s father checked on the baby in her crib at about 9 p.m. He found her struggling to breath and alerted other family members in the home. They attempted CPR and called 9-1-1. Medical personnel arrived and transported the child to the hospital, where she died three days later.

Detectives began a child death investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s injuries. Statements made by the parents were inconsistent with medical evidence that suggested the child was shaken violently and had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and torso.

On Aug. 28, detectives were notified by the Clark County coroner’s office that the autopsy report was concluded. The official cause of death was homicide, believed to be caused by acts of physical abuse.

Witnesses reported Chinn acted aggressively towards the baby in weeks leading up to the child's death. In one incident, Chinn allegedly bit the baby on her stomach, causing bruising. In a separate incident, Chinn allegedly slapped girl in the face.

Evidence suggests that Chinn was the last person alone with the baby before the baby’s medical crisis.

Chinn is in the Clark County Detention Center. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3.