Thursday, January 8, 2015

Dad charged with manslaughter in death of 5-month-old son (Lakeland, Florida)

Dad is identified as ROBERT DONTE GRAHAM.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/police-baby-died-after-being-shaken-father-arrested

Lakeland police: baby died after being shaken, father arrested

By: WFTS Webteam Posted: 10:40 AM, Jan 8, 2015 Updated: 1 hour ago

A Lakeland man was arrested Thursday in the death of his five-month-old baby who police say was shaken.

Police responded to the home on Crystal Grove Drive Dec. 29 for a call of a child not breathing.

Police say Robert Donte Graham, 23, was babysitting his child, Princeton Graham, and several other children. Graham told police the baby began to choke and he hit the baby on the back to stop him from choking, then called 911 from a neighbor's apartment.

The baby died two days later at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. An autopsy showed the baby died as a result of "shaken baby syndrome," caused by blunt force head trauma.

Graham admitted to detectives that he played too rough with the baby, slamming the baby on the bed, bouncing him on his knee, and shaking him.

Graham was charged with Aggravated Child Abuse and Manslaughter, both felonies.