Dad Charged With Murder After Allegedly Punching Baby In The Face

An Ohio man stands accused of aggravated murder after allegedly punching his three-month-old daughter in the face.

According to police, the suspect punched the infant with a closed fist at about 9 pm on Monday night “in a fit of frustration” because she wouldn’t stop crying. The mother of the child called 911 about midnight, and first responders rushed the baby to a Cincinnati-area hospital.

The baby was tragically pronounced dead early Tuesday morning at the hospital. The medical examiner’s office in Hamilton County, Ohio — which reportedly determined that head trauma was the cause of death — is in the process of determining “whether the baby was hit multiple times, whether she was shaken or a combination of both.”

The suspect, identified in multiple media reports as Shavale Johnson, 24, was taken into custody at about 2:30 am. He originally was charged with child endangering, but after the baby passed away, authorities added the aggravated murder charge. He is currently being held on a $200,000 bond and is due back in court next Wednesday.

The baby’s mother, who was home at the time of this incident taking of her other children while her boyfriend was supposed to be feeding the baby, said that “I want our daughter speaking for me… and our daughter and the rest of our family. I just want Shavale to serve some time, like for our daughter and also to get some serious help because that’s what he needs.”

When she came to the aid of her daughter that night when her boyfriend asked for help, she originally thought the infant only had a bloody nose. But later when the baby appeared unresponsive, she called the 911 dispatcher for medical assistance.

Police have indicated that Johnson has admitted to punching the infant to quiet her down.

The suspect reportedly has a previous arrest in December for assault that was subsequently dismissed.

[image via Shutterstock]