In connection with the toddler’s death, the 25-year-old parents of a 1-year-old boy in Arizona have been placed under arrest. It is claimed that they neglected to check on their child for almost 16 hours straight while he was in his crib.
Authorities verified that Braydon Jesus Pena and Shania Darlene Harris were placed under arrest on Sunday and accused with child abuse and child neglect.
According to a story from Mesa NBC station KPNX, Harris contacted 911 on Sunday, March 24, stating that her 1-year-old son was not breathing. This was the start of the couple’s research. According to reports from the police, Pena refused to try to save her son’s life while speaking with the dispatcher.
Pena described the young child as “cold,” and the dispatcher added that Harris was “hysterical,” according to the Arizona Republic.
First responders found the child laying in a playpen in the parents’ bedroom when they arrived on the scene. According to reports from the police, the tiny kid had already developed rigor mortis and had bluish-purple discolouration, suggesting that he had passed away several hours earlier.
According to a probable cause document that KPNX was able to get, “The rigor and lividity were also noted to be inconsistent with how the baby was positioned at the time of officer’s arrival.”
The residence and the victim also had not been cleaned in a long time, authorities said. “It should be noted that the apartment was in a general state of disarray and unclean and it was obvious the victim had not been bathed for some time,” the affidavit stated. “Scabbing could also be seen on the victims’ face, chin and leg, and it is unknown where this is from.”
Pena stated in a police interview that his son was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at birth, a neurological condition marked by a build-up of fluid in cavities deep within the brain.
According to reports, Pena said that his son had not been experiencing any bothersome symptoms before his death and was not on medicine for the disease.
The couple reportedly informed authorities that they put their son to bed between 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, and 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 24.
This information pertains to the timing of events. According to the Arizona Republic, the pair reportedly admitted that they hadn’t checked on the boy since right before they dialed 911 on March 24 at around 6:30 p.m.
Pena and Harris reportedly acknowledged that on March 24, when they woke up in the morning, they neglected to see to their child, despite the fact that they had both left him alone while they went to Burger King for breakfast, according to KPNX.
Rather, they supposedly finished their meal and returned to bed, where they slept for the remainder of the day until they discovered the youngster was unconscious.
The couple added that they didn’t have a baby monitor or camera in their house.
Police also reported that Harris remained close to Pena during the police interview, and that after they parted ways, she allegedly yelled at him, “Don’t say anything,” and advised him to hire a counsel.
With a $100,000 bond, Harris and Pena are both being held at the Maricopa County Jail. On April 3, they are both expected to appear in court.
