New York Father Charged With Brutally Beating And Killing Baby Daughter

A New York father was charged with beating, and killing, his 22-day-old baby daughter.

Gabriella Jones was brought into the world in the second week of March. She didn’t make it to April. Instead she had allegedly been beaten so badly by her father that she was sent to the hospital, where she later died.

Nicholas Jones, 24, the father of baby Gabriella, called 911 in the early morning hours, at approximately 5 a.m., Monday morning. He reported to the dispatcher that his baby was not breathing.

When authorities were sent to Jones’ home in Warren County, 65 miles north of Albany, the father told them the baby wasn’t breathing due to a medical condition. However, after some time, he finally told them about the horrible things he had done.

“He indicated he picked the baby up and shook the baby at one point dangling the baby by one leg and threw her onto a couch,” a New York State Police investigator, Jason Miller, told WNYT.

Only three days before the horrible incident, Jones had posted something on Facebook indicating that, because he is a firefighter, he would obviously protect his wife and baby better than any other father.

https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.jones.186/posts/10206065193817531

Jones’ reasoning for attacking baby Gabriella was that she wouldn’t stop crying.

Gabriella’s mother was in the house at the time of the incident, but she was asleep. Authorities do not believe she had anything to do with what Gabriella’s father allegedly did to her.

The district attorney, Kate Hogan, spoke to ABC News 10 about the baby. According to the DA, Gabriella’s injuries included several fractures and brain damage.

“The injuries suffered by the child, multiple fractured ribs, fractured clavicle and fractured femur were consistent with the account of the events,” Miller added.

Gabriella’s injuries left her in critical condition in Albany Medical Center on Tuesday. Meanwhile, her father was arrested and charged with assault, reckless assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was arraigned on Tuesday and represented by a public defender. According to FOX, the public defender indicated that a new lawyer would have to be found to represent baby Gabriella’s father.

Jones was held in Warren County Jail on $100,000 cash or $200,000 bond.

“This is a 22-day old [ baby ] who has sustained multiple trauma including fractures that are displaced and acute head trauma putting her in a life and death situation,” Hogan told WNYT on Tuesday. “We’ll know what her status is within the next 24 hours.”

For two days, baby Gabriella fought for her life. Doctors did everything they could to save her. Tragically, she passed away on Wednesday.

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After the death of baby Gabriella, the DA indicated that she wanted to upgrade what the father was being charged with.

Instead of being charged solely with multiple forms of assault, Nicholas Jones will likely be charged with either murder or manslaughter as well.

Initially, the father was supposed to see his day in court on April 1. However, with the death of his baby, the DA decided not to present her case on Friday. Instead, she decided to wait for the results of the autopsy.

With the autopsy results, the DA will be able to clear up exactly what events unfolded between baby Gabriella and her father. When the proof is in hand, Hogan feels she will be prepared to get baby Gabriella the justice she deserves.

According to the District Attorney, she will be ready to present the case to a grand jury on Friday, April 8. If she manages to bring the case to court in time, there could be an indictment for the tragic death of baby Gabriella by Monday, April 11.

For the time being, Gabriella’s father is still being held in Warren County Jail. He has been unable to make bail.

[Photo by Nicholas Jones’ Facebook]