A Utah couple have been charged with murder after the mother’s 13-day-old baby boy died after suffering severe abuse and neglect.
The West Jordan Police Department confirmed Maria Elena Sullivan, 26, and Dylan James Kitzmiller, 21, were arrested Friday night and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse.
The negligent mother knowingly left her child under supervision of her violent boyfriend who reportedly ‘had thrown the baby around, slapped him in the face, bit his hands, swaddled him face down and once covered the baby’s mouth with his hand as he cried,’ according to Fox 13 Salt Lake City.
Authorities were made aware of the disturbing acts after Sullivan, who had a warrant out for her arrest, made a visit to a local hospital.
Maria Elena Sullivan, 26, (left) and Dylan James Kitzmiller, 21, (right) were arrested Friday night and charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of child abuse
She checked into a hospital that evening and was caught after staff reported alarming statements she told them during the visit.
She later admitted to police to having knowledge of her heroin-addicted boyfriend’s behavior – and revealed to a friend the day of her baby’s death that she needed to ‘get away’ from Kitzmiller.
The baby was just shy of two weeks old when he tragically died September 17.
Sullivan said the underfed baby stopped breathing.
The couple called emergency officials, who were not able to retrieve the child.
Kitzmiller was also said to have shot up heroin on a daily basis while ‘taking care’ of his girlfriend’s child
Sullivan recalled seeing the baby boy fidget in discomfort, while making the motions of ‘a rough weird bicycle thing’ with his legs, according to the news station.
Court documents said Kitzmiller was also abusive toward Sullivan – who was fully aware her boyfriend had been using drugs while alone in the presence of the newborn.
They were ‘charged because the girlfriend indicated that there was a level of abuse that was going on, she was aware of this abuse, and she took no steps to stop this or to take the child to safety, a district attorney said.
Court documents said Kitzmiller was also abusive toward Sullivan – who was fully aware her boyfriend was using drugs while alone in the presence of the newborn
Doctors found that ‘the boy had lost 14 percent of his body mass in weight in the 13 days since his birth, going from 5 pounds 6 ounces to 4 pounds and 8 ounces at death,’ the shocking report said.
‘He had abrasions and bruises on his face and body. The boy also suffered a spinal fracture and a broken rib along with a ‘massive’ amount of swelling in his brain.’
Oblivious neighbor to the family, Kristen Peterson, told Fox 13 she was horrified after learning of the events that took place next door.
‘You never really know what’s going on two or three houses down from you,’ Peterson said.
Kitzmiller is being held at a Utah jail on a $1 million bond, while Sullivan is without bond in Georgia.