Vineyard parents arrested after infant daughter dies from father’s abuse, investigators say

Editor’s note: This story includes descriptions of abuse and the death of a child. Individuals who suspect child abuse or neglect should the Utah Division of Child and Family Services’ 24/7 intake hotline at 1-855-323-3237.

Those who are experiencing intimate partner violence, or know someone who is, are urged to call the Utah Domestic Violence Link Line, 1-800-897-LINK (5465), or the Utah Rape and Sexual Assault Crisis Line, 801-736-4356.

The parents of a 4-month-old girl were arrested Friday in Vineyard after authorities determined the girl died after she was beaten by her father, court documents state.

The baby’s 29-year-old father and 24-year-old mother initially told investigators that they found their daughter unresponsive about 40 minutes after they put her down for a nap on Wednesday, according to a probable cause statement. The couple called 911, but the baby was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

An autopsy Thursday revealed the girl’s cause of death was severe blunt force trauma to the head, and the girl’s mother then admitted to authorities that the father was abusive towards her, their daughter and their other children.

After the autopsy, the woman told police that the man had a history of anger issues and that he had previously punched her in the face and was “often excessively rough with the infant,” according to a probable cause statement. On the day the baby died, the woman said she was in the bathroom when she heard a “terrible scream” from the room the man and her daughter were in.

When she got to the room, the man had swaddled the infant and thrown the baby into a crib, an investigator wrote in a probable cause statement. The mother told authorities “she hated it” when the man was too rough with their daughter, but that she had not seen exactly what he had done — and the couple instead went downstairs to feed their other children.

The couple found their daughter unresponsive when they returned upstairs, court documents state. When the girl’s father was interviewed by police, he said he had “lost his temper” when the baby had been crying due to her severe diaper rash.

The man told authorities he had punched the top of her head, grabbed the baby by her neck, and choked her as he walked to the crib. He said he then slammed the baby’s head against the crib, swaddled the child with her arms behind her back, and threw her in the crib, according to court documents.

Investigators found that the baby had such severe diaper rash on her body that “it was apparent” she had not been getting her diaper changed or receiving any treatment for the irritated area, according to a probable cause statement. The medical examiner also found “multiple bruises” on the baby from before the homicide, an investigator wrote.

The family’s home also “smelled of urine and was filthy,” and the couple’s other children were undressed and dirty according to detectives who collected evidence from the home, an investigator wrote in the probable cause statement. When police photographed the baby’s bed, they found that the baby had no mattress — and instead used a portable-style crib with layers of blankets that authorities said were “dirty, smelly and damp.”

Police later learned that a total of 9 people and two dogs live at the residence. It is unclear how many other children the couple have.

The girl’s father was arrested on suspicion of child abuse criminal homicide and aggravated assault. The girl’s mother was also arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse since authorities wrote she was aware of the abuse in the home and permitted it to continue — and that she also knew something had happened to her baby and failed to intervene or render aid before calling 911.

The parents were booked into the Utah County jail on Friday. The girl’s father is being held without bail and the girl’s mother is being held on a $10,000 bail, according to a news release.

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