Parents’ friend, who voIunteered to watch their 9-month-old baby, told the infant’s mom that she is overreacting after she wanted to take her child to the hospital, the baby died the following day after suffering severe injuries caused by the babysiter’s beating; pleads guilty

According to the court documents, the 26-year-old parents’ friend, later identified as Anthony, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering the safety of a child in connection after he reportedly killed their baby last year. Prosecutors say Anthony killed the 9-month-old baby while he was babysitting the child and the baby’s parents were at work. The 26-year-old defendant will be sentenced next month. He is facing a total of 37 1/2 years. According to the court documents, in July 2023, the 9-month-old baby, LochIan, was brought to the hospital by his parents.

Medical staff discovered that the child was not breathing and had suffered serious and Iife-threatening injuries. Per reports, the baby was pronounced dead the following day. An autopsy revealed that the child suffered severe brain injury consistent with suffering blunt force trauma to the head. During an interview with investigators, the baby’s parents reportedly said that Anthony reportedly offered to help and babysit their baby while they both were at work. On the day of the incident, Anthony picked up LochIan parents and dropped them off at work. He then went home to take care of the baby.

The defendant then picked up the baby’s parents when their shift ended. The baby’s mom reportedly noticed bruises on her baby’s arms and realized that the baby struggled to breathe, but Anthony claimed to not know what caused the bruises. After the parents went home, the baby’s condition worsened and the mother wanted to ask Anthony for a ride to the hospital. Anthony reportedly told her that she was overreacting. After several hours, when the baby’s breathing became more of a snore,  the baby’s dad told her it would be rude to wake up Anthony for a ride to the hospital. The baby’s mom then went back to sleep. In the morning, the baby’s parents found the child unresponsive.

During an interview with investigators, the 26-year-old defendant reportedly said that he dropped the car seat holding the baby on the front porch steps. But, he also said that the seat landed on its side at the bottom of the steps and the baby was not injured. In another interview, Anthony reportedly said that he put the baby on the floor and his head struck the floor when he tried to give him a bath. According to the court documents, while babysitting the baby, the 26-year-old man reportedly called his girlfriend and complained that the baby wouldn’t stop crying.