A Texas babysitter charged with murdering a 1-year-old child he was watching reportedly told authorities that he used “wrestling-style moves” on the infant.
Marvin Rex Lake, 24, was arrested Monday by El Paso police for the April 13 incident, police announced Tuesday.
Officers were called to Children’s Medical Center on April 13 after a 1-year-old infant was taken to the hospital with “multiple injuries, including a skull fracture,” police said.
Press Release: Man Charged with Capital Murder in Killing of Infanthttps://t.co/wtb0wzXEiF pic.twitter.com/Cc8SoRkVKX
— EL PASO POLICE DEPT (@EPPOLICE) April 20, 2021
The 1-year-old child, identified by KFox 14 as Ahren Joshua DeHart, had suffered brain damage and other injuries including lung hemorrhaging, suspected abdominal injuries and there were bruises on the child’s lower body, according to KXAN.
Investigators learned DeHart, along with another infant and toddler, had been left with Lake while the childrens’ mothers went to work, according to police.
The mother of the child who died is a health care worker at a local hospital, while the father is a soldier stationed at Fort Bliss, according to KXAN.
At some point, Lake reported the 1-year-old had gone limp and was vomiting a red substance, according to the report. (RELATED: 2 Arrested For Fatally Beating 2-Year-Old To Death, Investigators Believe Toddler Was Abused For Months)
The mothers returned from work and found the one-year-old “unresponsive,” according to police. The 1-year-old child was taken to the hospital and placed on life support before he succumbed to his injuries Friday, police said.
Police said Lake told them DeHart’s injuries were the result of him trying “wrestling-style moves” on the infant, who at one point fell out of Lake’s hand and hit the frame of a futon, according to KFox 14. Lake also reportedly told authorities he grabbed DeHart in a football hold after DeHart ripped a pillow but that he was not responsible for DeHart’s head injuries, just the internal ones, according to KXAN.
Lake was arrested Monday and charged with capital murder, which carries a possible death sentence. Authorities are investigating the other child and toddler who were left in his custody and were found to have injuries.