An Arizona man beat his newborn daughter to death because she was “crying too much” — then tried to blame her demise on choking while drinking from her bottle, police said.
Jonathan Enriquez, 22, was charged with first-degree murder and child abuse last month in connection with the death of his 4-week-old infant daughter after he told police that he hit the baby, Mesa police said Thursday.
First responders found the baby girl unresponsive at Enriquez’s apartment complex just before 9 a.m. on July 11, cops said. The young dad was alone with his daughter when she stopped breathing.
“It was reported that the baby choked while being fed a bottle,” police said. “Lifesaving measures were performed, and the baby was transported to the hospital, where she remained in critical condition.”
The infant was declared dead at the hospital on July 26, police said.
Investigators later found the baby had other injuries in “various stages of healing,” including a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain, a broken leg and broken ribs, PEOPLE reported.
Inconsistent statements were given to police from both parents, according to court documents obtained by AZ Family, including claims the baby girl had fallen off the bed, out of a car seat and struck by a seat buckle causing bruising around her eyes.
Enriquez, who admitted to being “quite forceful” while changing the baby’s diapers, texted the baby’s mother saying he “messed up” and asking her to come back from work as the baby wasn’t breathing, the outlet reported.
He later said the struck the baby on the left side of her head because she had been “crying too much” while she was inside her bassinet, AZFamily reported, adding he also admitted to swaddling her tightly to stop her crying.
An autopsy revealed the “catastrophic” injuries were consistent with “slamming, crushing or stomping,” the outlet reported.
It’s unclear if the baby’s mother is facing charges. Enriquez, who expressed “deep remorse” according to the court documents, is currently jailed on a $1 million bond.