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WEST VALLEY CITY — A West Valley father accused of being fed up with his crying infant daughter was charged Thursday with killing her.
Israel Levi Gonzalez Gomez, 21, is charged in 3rd District Court with murder or in the alternative child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony; and child abuse, a class A misdemeanor.
The victim's mother, Andrea Samano Galeana, 20, was charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
On Feb. 19, West Valley police were called to Primary Children's Hospital where 3-month-old Dariana Elizabet Gonzalez Samano was being treated.
"Dariana suffered three cardiac arrests prior to arriving at Primary Children's Hospital. After a CT scan, doctors stated that Dariana suffered from retinal hemorrhages, a traumatic cataract, as well as brain bleeding," according to charging documents.
Dariana was pronounced dead on Feb. 22.
When questioned, Gonzalez "stated that Dariana cried excessively for the first few weeks of her life" and that he was "feeling desperate for a way to calm Dariana down," the charges state.
Each parent was interviewed at least twice and police say they had varying stories. Gonzalez at one point allegedly stated that Dariana had fallen off a bed.
But according to doctors, "to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the injuries/findings described are not plausibly explained by a reported accidental injury," the charges say. "These injuries should be considered consistent with inflicted trauma."
Detectives seized both of the parents' phones and conducted a data search.
"Detectives located multiple web searches and their variations such as: 'Why did my 2-month baby vomit milk with blood in it?' 'What to do if my 2-month baby is intoxicated?' 'Why does my baby have blood in their eye?' 'What to do if your 2-month baby has colic?'" and others, the charges state.
Police also found messages that police say indicated Gonzalez had previously harmed the infant. Galeana asked him about bruising and red dots around both of Dariana's eyes and in one text tells him to "stop grabbing my baby so roughly" and "I am afraid something is going to happen to her," according to the charging documents.
An autopsy found "signs of brain trauma and further testing is being completed prior to making a final determination as to the cause of death," the court documents say.
"During the investigation, detectives learned that (Gonzalez) was alone with the baby at the time of incident just prior to the onset of symptoms, and while (he) eventually claimed it was an accident, he failed to call 911. Additionally, (Gonzalez) admitted to bruising the baby's face and when he was confronted by his wife about the baby looking as if she had been hit, he was aggressive in his response saying that if he had hit her, she would not have stopped bleeding. (Gonzalez) told detectives that he was desperate for a way to calm the baby down from her excessive crying. (He) caused harm to his baby which resulted in her death," prosecutors concluded in the charges.
The court documents also note that Galeana was not forthcoming with doctors, and her "story varied each time she talked with detectives and her internet searches showed that the defendant knew that abuse was happening to her daughter."
In a GoFundMe* post, Dariana's grandmother said, "In such a short time she gave us so many moments of joy and beautiful memories."
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
