Man Suspected In Baby's Death Arrested
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Authorities say a man suspected of assaulting a 1-year-old boy in Brooklyn Park, who later died from his injuries, is in police custody.
Brooklyn Park Police say 23-year-old Reggie Delaney Harper is accused of assaulting Kazerion Harper earlier this week. Police say they believe Harper is the boy's father.
Police took Harper into custody at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Brooklyn Park.
On Tuesday night, authorities were called to the 2100 block of 74th Ct. North on a report that the boy wasn't breathing.
After paramedics performed CPR on the 23-month-old, he was taken to North Memorial Medical Center where he later died.
The boy's cause of death is listed as multiple blunt force injuries. According to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office, his death was a homicide.
Authorities say Harper has a history of abuse with other children in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.
In 2013, Kazerion's mother sought and received a restraining order after she said Harper hit Kazerion and then choked her unconscious when she tried to stop him.
Harper later admitted to the assaults. Kazerion and his older brother were then placed in foster care. The children's mother said she wanted the children back and that a restraining order would help protect them.
The mother got the restraining order, which is in place until July 2015, and eventually got the boys back. But police say she also eventually let Harper back into her life. She was at the home when paramedics arrived.
Mark Bruley is deputy chief of the Brooklyn Park Police Department.
"We're still trying to conduct an investigation, but there was some on-and-off relationships between the mother and the father. But at this night, they were together," Bruley said.
Harper was convicted of a misdemeanor violation of a restraining order 14 months ago, but it's not clear if it involved the children.
He had another restraining order against him from another woman who said he had abused her.
WCCO was unable to reach Kazerion's mother.
Harper is currently in Brooklyn Park Jail. Police are still investigating.