Parents Of 2-Month-Old Charged In His Murder
WESTLAND (WWJ/AP) - The parents of a 2-month-old Detroit-area boy face charges in his slaying and the abuse of his twin brother.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged 22-year Antonio Brandon with first-degree murder and child abuse. Eighteen-year-old Nicole Roberts is charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse.
Police said rescue personnel found baby Kayden unresponsive when they arrived at the Westland Meadows mobile home park earlier this week. He was declared dead at a hospital.
An autopsy found the boy died of asphyxia and blunt-force trauma to the chest. The Wayne County Medical Examiner discovered multiple chest fractures and bleeding in the chest cavity.
His twin brother and a 2-year-old child were removed from the home.
Worthy said the twin also suffered physical abuse."The alleged facts show that these twin infants were abused much of their lives. It is tragic that one of the twins died as a result. We have been seeing too many of these cases lately," she said.
WWJ's Stephanie Davis reported that family members' emotions boiled over at the pair's arraignment Thursday afternoon in 18th District Court.
"I hate you!" yelled a woman, before she was silenced by the judge.
According to investigators, Brandon told them that he beat on the baby's chest with his fists, among other things, in an effort to stop the child from crying.
Police said Roberts them that she heard and saw Brandon beating the baby that day, but chose not to stop it.
"She peeked into the living room and saw the defendant Brandon striking Kayden with an open hand three times in the abdomen,"Westland Police officer Todd Adams told the court. "She went back to the room and ignored the beating as she was afraid to cause a conflict with him."
Bond was set at $1 million for both.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
