A 28-year-old Utah man faces murder charges after allegedly slamming a four-month-old girl's head against an elevator wall while babysitting, causing injuries that led to her death.
Zachary Jarred Walton, 28, described as a family friend who had frequently babysat the infant, was charged Friday with one count of first-degree felony murder and two counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse, according to the Utah District Attorney's Office.
Unified police reported that officers were dispatched to the Road Home shelter in Midvale on the evening of Sunday, August 25th, following reports of an unresponsive infant who was not concious or breathing, according to KUTV.
Upon arrival, the infant was immediately transported to Intermountain Medical Center and later transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at Primary Children's Hospital. She remained there until the morning of September 6, when she was taken off life support and passed away.
The child had been living at the Road Home shelter with her mother, who was working for DoorDash at the time of the alleged incident. Walton, who had frequently babysat the infant, was reportedly watching her that day.
According to the Utah District Attorney's Office, Walton told police that the infant had slept most of the day but awoke crying in the evening. Walton said he attempted to take her to the roof to calm her, but while entering the elevator, he struck her head against the elevator wall twice, "using significant force."
Video surveillance showed that when Walton exited the elevator on the roof, the infant's head was limp. Walton was seen blowing in her face for around 17 minutes, "as if trying to wake her," according to the DA's office. He later took the child to the lobby, where she began to receive medical attention.
Medical examinations revealed that the infant had suffered skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, and both acute and healing rib fractures. The healing rib injuries, estimated to be from two to three weeks earlier, suggested prior abuse, the DA's office said.
When questioned about the rib fractures, Walton reportedly admitted that he had squeezed the infant too hard out of excitement, forcing air out of her lungs but claimed he "didn't hear a crack."
A babysitting log at the shelter indicated that Walton had been caring for the infant and her siblings intermittently for about three weeks, according to the DA's office
