Prosecutors claim that a Utah man killed a 4-month-old girl he was watching by slamming her head against an elevator wall, and now he is in jail.
According to a news release from Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, it took place on August 25 at the Road Home Shelter in Midvale.
According to a probable cause arrest complaint, the girl’s mother left her kid with her family friend Zachary Jarred Walton, 28, who also resided at the shelter and had previously watched her.
Walton subsequently reported to investigators with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake that the girl—named S.S. in court records—was sleeping for the majority of the day but would not stop screaming when she woke up.
According to the affidavit, he chose to take her up to the roof because he knew that the fresh air would normally help her relax. The girl was “screaming,” and despite repeated attempts to calm her down, she would not stop using her pacifier. He reportedly informed police that he was eight out of ten frustrated.
When police asked him what had happened in the elevator, he first said nothing before admitting, according to the affidavit, that he had “accidentally bumped her head” twice on the corner of the machine close to the buttons.
Before phoning for assistance, he allegedly claimed that the girl stopped breathing and that he attempted life-saving techniques for five minutes.
“Walton was asked how he was feeling during the incident and he stated that he was frustrated,” detectives stated. “Walton stated that when he was in the elevator, he thought to himself, ‘How do I get her to shut up.'”
He did, however, allegedly confess to using his upper body weight and “significant force” to slam the girl’s skull against the elevator’s corner when detectives asked him for further details.
“Walton stated that S.S. stopped crying and looked at him. Walton then thought to himself, ‘What had I done,” cops stated.
He is allegedly seen “trying to blow into her face” for around 17 minutes while carrying the “limp” baby around on the roof, according to surveillance footage taken from the top.
Walton then went downstairs to ask for assistance, and according to the authorities, someone contacted 911 so that emergency personnel could rush the girl to the hospital.
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The girl’s multiple skull fractures, brain hemorrhage, and healing rib fractures that looked to be two or three weeks old were noted by the doctors. According to the affidavit, Walton claimed he was overly happy to meet the girl and gave her a forceful hug, which is why he was hurt. On Friday, the girl’s life support was removed, and she passed away.
Walton was accused by the prosecution of two charges of aggravated child abuse and first-degree murder. He’s being held without bond at the Salt Lake County Jail.
“If you are struggling to give the proper care for children that you are responsible for, please ask for help. This infant death is a tragedy that could have been avoided. We are committed to seeking justice and accountability for this young child and her family,” Gill stated.
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