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WEST JORDAN — A man wanted for murder in the death of a 13-day-boy has been arrested.
Police found Dylan James Kitzmiller, 21, in Utah County on Friday night and arrested him without incident, according to West Jordan police. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail early Saturday. As of Saturday evening, the search continued for Maria Elena Sullivan, 26, who may have left the state, according to police.
On Friday, $1 million arrest warrants were issued for both Kitzmiller and Sullivan after prosecutors charged each with murder, a first-degree felony, and three counts of child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony, in 3rd District Court.
Sullivan's newborn child died on Sept. 17 of severe brain injury, according to charging documents. The boy was dehydrated and had lost weight since birth in addition to suffering a number of other injuries, according to the Utah State Medical Examiner, including a fractured arm that appeared to be a "fresh" injury, a broken rib and an injured spinal cord, charges state.
The boy was born Sept. 4 with no known medical problem, court documents state. Sullivan was living with Kitzmiller at the time in the basement of one of Kitzmiller's relatives.
On Sept. 17, emergency crews were called to the house because the infant was in full arrest, the charges state. The child made "grunting" and "gasping" noises before he stopped breathing, the couple told police. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene.
When Kitzmiller became angry, he would grab the infant "by the shoulder, causing his head to flip, and throw the newborn baby up in the air," according to court documents. He also slapped and bit the young child, charges state.
But prosecutors also noted that Sullivan "continued to leave (the boy) in Kitzmiller's care" and "never sought medical care" for him despite being aware of the bruises and marks.
