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WEST VALLEY CITY — A 4-month-old baby died Friday morning after police took the infant's teen babysitter into custody for investigation of felony child abuse two days prior, a family spokesperson said.
Doctors performed a second brain scan on the infant, Adalyn, Friday after conducting an initial scan when the baby was brought into the hospital Tuesday. They did not detect any brain wave activity on either, according to the baby's great aunt Elena Ratcliffe. Doctors pronounced the baby dead at 9:15 a.m.
The infant's 16-year-old babysitter had been watching the baby Tuesday night when police responded to a report of an unresponsive child at the Shadowbrook Apartments near 3860 S. Redwood Road, according to West Valley City Police Lt. Kent Stokes.
Police found the infant unconscious and performed CPR. The baby was transported to Primary Children's Hospital where a doctor said he noticed signs of shaken baby syndrome, Stokes said.
Police found the boy with the baby Tuesday night but didn't interview him until the day after. He was booked into a juvenile detention center for investigation of felony child abuse soon after, Stokes said.
"The babysitter did confess that he shook the baby violently," Ratcliffe said.
The investigation is still ongoing, and police are working to piece together the case.
When Stokes talked to KSL Thursday, he added that if the child were to die, the charges the babysitter would face would be amended to homicide charges.
