A 19-year-old father in Arizona is accused of killing his 6-week-old child by repeatedly striking the infant in the head. Arnold Barney was arrested this week and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse, according to court records.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 28, officers from the Mesa Police Department and emergency medical personnel responded to an apartment complex in the 1000 block of South Longmore, about 18 miles east of Phoenix, according to local CBS affiliate KTVK.
When authorities arrived at the address, they reportedly discovered the baby in “respiratory distress” and immediately transported him to the hospital for treatment.
Unfortunately, the child died from his injuries, which included bruises, internal injuries, and a brain bleed, early the next morning.
Court documents obtained by the station revealed additional details about the infant’s death and Barney’s arrest.
According to the report, the mother informed police that she left her son with Barney around 7:30 p.m. to go grocery shopping.
When she returned home, the child was still on the bed, but there was visible bruising on his face and he appeared to be struggling to breathe. Barney allegedly refused to answer questions about what had happened as the mother dialed 911.
The victim’s mother reportedly told investigators that she frequently became upset with Barney because he was unemployed and barely helped with the baby and the couple’s other child, preferring to spend his time playing video games and watching videos on his tablet.
She reportedly stated that when she confronted him about his lack of parental involvement, he would often become enraged and punch holes in their walls.
Police quickly arrested Barney, and after being read his Miranda rights, he agreed to an interview and admitted to being alone with the child while the mother was at the store, according to Phoenix Fox affiliate KSAZ.
“[Barney] stated that he had awoken from a nap on the couch when alerted to the infant’s crying. [Barney] stated that the child had been cradled in his arms without his knowledge and had rolled face first onto the floor,” according to a probable cause affidavit. “[Barney] then admitted this was not true, and he had in fact struck the infant with two open-handed slaps to the face.”
The accused killer then changed his story again, claiming that he struck the infant in the head and face six times because the baby wouldn’t stop crying.
“[Barney] stated that after injuring the infant, he swaddled the infant and propped a bottle up for him to feed on,” according to police records. “[Barney] then returned to the couch in the living room until the infant’s mother returned home.”
According to the document, Barney “expressed regret for his actions” because he “understood that they were wrong,” before telling detectives that he “wished to tell the infant’s mother that he was sorry for killing the child.”
After being processed at the Mesa County Jail, a judge ordered him held in lieu of a $1 million bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on August 7, according to records.
