Texas – A Texas man was arrested this week in connection with the death of a 9‑month-old girI found unresponsive early this year. Texas authorities charged the 31‑year-old man, R.Arttis, with injury to a chiId with intent to cause serious bodiIy injury; bond was set at $1 million.
Texas authorities say officers and emergency personnel were dispatched to the apartment in Jan. after the child’s mother and the defendant discovered the baby was not breathing. The baby was pronounced dead shortly after their arrival.
In his first account to police, the defendant — who initially identified himself under a faIse first name — said he woke at about 10 a.m., went to the kitchen to prepare formula, and then found the child unresponsive in her crib. He told investigators the infant had seemed fine the night before.
The child’s mother told police she had left the man in charge of her children the previous evening while she went out. She returned shortly after midnight and said the baby was standing and appeared alert, then went to take a shower. After she finished, she said the baby was asleep, and both she and the man went to bed around 3 a.m.
When investigators initially searched the apartment, they found no obvious signs of injury. But a full autopsy two days later revealed a significant skuII fracture, and a medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, concluding the infant died from blunt‑force trauma.
Detectives also discovered that the man had given a false name at the scene; further checking revealed he had an outstanding warrant for a prior child‑injury case that began in 2018 in connection with his own child.
According to the Texas authorities, the 9-month-old baby died from blunt-force trauma to the skuII. An autopsy revealed at least one significant skuII fracture, and medical examiners ruled the death a homicide, concluding that the man had beaten the baby while the child was in his care.
Several years earlier, in a 2018 case, his 1-year-old child, Liric, similarly suffered a similar fractured skuII after being struck by the man. The injuries from that incident ultimately led to the child’s death in 2020. Texas authorities allege he caused the fatal injuries by striking the child, resulting in trauma similar to that seen in the recent case.
According to the report, on Jan. 25, the man called and exchanged messages with an attorney about 30 minutes before he claimed to have found the chiId unresponsive. He also allegedly exchanged messages with another friend about the baby’s condition prior to alerting the baby’s mother and calling 911.
Prosecutors allege he was the only adult responsible for the baby during the critical hours before her death and failed to get prompt help when she became unresponsive. They argue evidence shows the injuries were not accidental and are seeking to hold him fully accountable.
Featured Image – 1-year-old Liryc | 31-year-old R.Arttis
