The Road Home shelter in Utah where a man allegedly killed a 4-month-old girl he was babysitting (KTVU).
A Utah man is behind bars after he allegedly killed a 4-month old girl he was babysitting by slamming her head against an elevator wall, prosecutors say.
It happened Aug. 25 at the Road Home Shelter in Midvale, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a press release. The girl’s mother went to work and left her daughter in the care of a family friend, 28-year-old Zachary Jarred Walton, who also lived in the shelter and has previously watched her, a probable cause arrest affidavit said.
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Walton later told detectives with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake that the girl, identified as S.S. in court documents, was sleeping most of the day but woke up and wouldn’t stop crying. He decided to take her up to the roof because the fresh air usually calmed her down, the affidavit said. The girl was “screaming” and kept trying to put her pacifier into her mouth to soothe her to no avail. He allegedly told cops his frustration level was 8 out of 10.
Cops asked what happened in the elevator and he initially said nothing, then he stated he “accidentally bumped her head” twice on the corner of the elevator near the buttons, the affidavit said. He reportedly said the girl stopped breathing and he tried live saving measures for five minutes before calling for help.
“Walton was asked how he was feeling during the incident and he stated that he was frustrated,” detectives wrote. “Walton stated that when he was in the elevator, he thought to himself, ‘How do I get her to shut up.””
But as detectives pressed for more information, he allegedly admitted to using “significant force” with his upper body weight to slam the girl’s head on the corner of the elevator.
“Walton stated that S.S. stopped crying and looked at him. Walton then thought to himself, ‘What had I done,’” cops wrote.
Video surveillance from the roof reportedly shows him carrying the “limp” infant around on the roof for about 17 minutes while “trying to blow into her face.” Walton then went downstairs for help and someone called 911 for first responders to rush to the girl to the hospital, authorities said.
Doctors noted the girl had multiple skull fractures and brain bleeding, along with healing rib fractures that appeared to be two or three weeks old. Walton blamed those injuries on hugging the girl too hard because he was excited to see her, the affidavit said. The girl was taken off life support on Friday and died.
Prosecutors charged Walton with first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse. He’s at the Salt Lake County Jail without bond.
“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 said in a statement.
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