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LAYTON — An 11-month-old Layton girl suffering from possible shaken baby syndrome has died.
The infant, Aliyah Wild, was transferred to Primary Children's Medical Center Sept. 10 after she was first brought to the emergency room at Davis Hospital & Medical Center unresponsive and in critical condition.
The girl died Tuesday night, according to Layton police.
Tyler Ryan Geary, 25, the boyfriend of the young girl's mother, was arrested for investigation of child abuse a week ago. He was reportedly watching the baby while his girlfriend, 20, was at work. Investigators believe he became frustrated with the child's crying and shook her before throwing her onto a bed.
"He did finally tell us that he was frustrated the baby was continually whining and crying and he didn't know what to do," said Layton Police Lt. Shawn Horton. "He picked her up and he shook her and he threw her down on the bed. Once that happened, of course, he looked at her and she was injured."
Geary later bailed out of jail. The Davis County Attorney's Office was expected to review the case for possible criminal charges once an autopsy has been completed.
Emily Bodily said that she was first exposed to shaken baby syndrome about 16 years ago. She said she was 19 years old when her 16 month old son, Elijah, was shaken by his father. Elijah died four days later.
Bodily has since become an advocate fro creating awareness about shaken baby syndrome.
"It is truly one the is 100 percent preventable because it is triggered by anger," Bodily said. "In every confession that they have gotten, it's always the perpetrator is saying, 'I couldn't console them, I couldn't stop them from crying.' "
Bodily said that there are simple solutions for preventing anger when dealing with infants.
"Put them in their crib in a bedroom and walk away for five or 10 minutes, gain your composure," Bodily said. "That child is not going to die from the crying."
