According to the police officials, mother and father of 4-month-old baby are behind bars after authorities say the father brutally murdered child while the mother made no effort to intervene and protect the child from repeated and consistent abuse in their home. The 20-year-old father is facing charges of first-degree murder, child abuse or neglect resulting in substantial bodily harm, and allowing child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm in connection with the death of his infant son Levi.
The 20-year-old mother was charged with two counts of allowing child abuse resulting in substantial bodily harm.
According to the report, the couple from Nevada, Mykeal Rangel and Brooke Lehman, brought the baby to a local fire station on Sept. 16 in an unresponsive state. Authorities say the 4-month-old baby was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The hospital staff said that there was no explanation for the child’s condition.
Prosecutors say the father admitted to squeezing the child. He admitted to becoming severely frustrated with the child. He admitted to shaking the child on multiple occasions. So the proof is evident and the presumption is great that this defendant committed murder.
The coroner’s office has reported that the child’s Sept. 16 death was a homicide that resulted from abusive head trauma. The infant also suffered multiple fractured ribs. Investigators also revealed that the child had two bleeds in his brain, old rib fractures that showed signs of healing, blood in his lungs, a possible spleen laceration, and extensive retinal hemorrhages.
The father told investigators that raising “the baby was a parent’s hell, the child didn’t eat or sleep, cried incessantly, and only wanted to be held. He then “hugged the child until he made the strained noise he makes when he is squeezed.” He told investigators that he loosened his grip and the baby fell asleep.
The mother knew what was going on and did nothing to stop the abuse, prosecutors say. This story will be updated as new information become available.