Dylan Kitzmiller: Man Allegedly Kills Girlfriend’s 13-Day-Old Baby, Putting Newborn Through Horrific Abuse
Dylan James Kitzmiller is under arrest after police in Utah say the man killed his girlfriend’s 13-day-old baby after putting the newborn through horrific abuse that included slapping the baby in the face and throwing him.
The baby was born on September 4 of this year but died tragically on September 17, the New York Post reported. The baby’s mother had called 911 to say that the newborn stopped breathing, and paramedics arrived but were not able to save the baby.
After police investigated, they uncovered a stretch of horrific abuse in the infant’s two short weeks of life. The baby’s mother, Maria Elena Sullivan, reportedly told police that Kitzmiller was verbally and physically abusive toward her and subjected the newborn to extreme abuse, the New York Post noted. Sullivan told police that her boyfriend threw the baby around, slapped him in the face, bit the newborn’s hands, and put his hands over the newborn’s mouth when the baby would cry. Sullivan also claimed her boyfriend used heroin when he was with the baby.
On the day of the newborn’s death, Sullivan had reportedly called a friend to complain about Dylan Kitzmiller’s violent behavior and say she wanted to get away from his abuse. At the time the call was made, the newborn was alone with Kitzmiller, Fox 13 Now reported. When Sullivan returned downstairs, she claimed to see the baby wearing only a diaper while Kitzmiller was moving the baby’s legs “in a rough weird bicycle thing.”
Kitzmiller reportedly told Sullivan that the boy would be fine and put him to sleep, but during the night, he began gasping for air. Sullivan pinched the baby in an attempt to get him to respond, but he only gasped a few more times and then stopped breathing entirely.
Kitzmiller was arrested and police tracked down Sullivan in Georgia after she went to a hospital to seek medical care. She was arrested as well, as police said she knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it, still leaving the infant in his care and refusing to seek medical attention for him.
NEW: WJ police are looking for these 2. Cops: Dylan Kitzmiller beat a 13 day old to death, the mother, Maria Sullivan, doesn't report. pic.twitter.com/zwii4cNOmh
— Chris Jones (@jonesnews) October 21, 2017
“Both of them were charged because the girlfriend indicated that there was a level of abuse that was going on, she was aware of this abuse, and she took no steps to stop this or to take the child to safety,” said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill (via Fox 13 Now).
Maria Elena Sullivan and Dylan James Kitzmiller are both charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse as second-degree felonies.
[Featured Image by kali9/iStock]
