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SALT LAKE CITY — A 2-year-old girl taken to a local hospital in extremely critical condition after police say she was abused by her mother's boyfriend, has died.
Officers were called to 1836 S. McClelland Street (1040 East) just before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a young girl not breathing, according to Salt Lake police. She was taken to a local hospital in extremely critical condition.
"The 2-year-old had blunt force trauma on her head and stomach and appeared to have been struck multiple times. The attending physician reports the victim appears to be brain dead and is not expected to survive," according to Salt Lake County Jail documents.
Juan Pablo Rivera-Aguilar, 32, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of 10 counts of child abuse and two counts of violence in the presence of a child.
Aguilar is the boyfriend of the victim's mother and was watching the child and her 4-year-old brother when the alleged abuse occurred, according to police. The brother also showed signs of abuse but not serious enough that required him being taken to the hospital, investigators said. He told detectives that Aguilar "pulled out" his hair.
Several clumps of hair were found in Aguilar's apartment by investigators executing a search warrant, booking records state.
The brother told police he watched Aguilar punch his sister in the head five times and in the stomach five times, according to jail records.
Aguilar's brother, Sam Rivera says he doesn't believe his brother is guilty. "They like him (the kids), if he was an abuser, the kids would be afraid to be with him for him to watch them," Rivera said.
Police said the girl, who's name was not released, died Wednesday. Additional charges will likely be screened when the case it taken to the Salt Lake District Attorney's Office.
Aguilar pleaded guilty in 1996 to a charge of providing prohibited items to a minor, a class B misdemeanor, according to court records. He was also convicted of an amended charge of attempting to violate the conditions of his release after being arrested for domestic violence, also a class B misdemeanor, according to Utah State Court records.
Story written by Pat Reavy with contributions from Mike Anderson.
