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MURRAY — A woman who was babysitting a 4-month- old boy last week has been arrested for investigation of child abuse homicide.
Jennifer Martinez, 35, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail about 9:40 p.m. Monday. She is being charged with a first degree felony.
Last Thursday, Martinez was babysitting 4-month-old Kaysen Calhoun at her residence, near 4600 South and 200 West. At some point during the evening she called 911 to report the boy was unresponsive and possibly in cardiac arrest, said Murray police detective Kenny Bass.
The infant was taken to Intermountain Medical Center and later flown to Primary Children's Medical Center where he was placed on life support.
Doctors said the boy's injuries were consistent "with being violently shaken," according to a Salt Lake County Jail report.
The boy was taken off life support on Saturday, Bass said.
When police interviewed Martinez she said the young boy "was upset and would not stop crying." In an attempt to stop the boy from crying, "she held the baby using both of her hands underneath his arms and recklessly shook him forwards and backwards until he stopped crying," according to jail documents.
Investigators say it was Martinez's "reckless actions" that caused the infant's death.
"They rely on an adult to get through life, and to have their life taken away by one so violently - it's just tragic. It's awful," Said Murray police officer Kenny Bass.
Martinez was reportedly an acquaintance of the boy's family.
Written by Pat Reavy with contributions from [Shara Park](<mailto: spark@ksl.com>)
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