Georgia – A Georgia man was taken into custody last week and charged in connection with the death of his girIfriend’s 6-month-old baby, MyIes WaIker after Georgia authorities said the lnfant suffered severe injuries while in the defendant’s, 24-year-old WiIIie, care. Deputies initially booked him on first-degree cruelty to chiIdren and tampering with evidence, and after the child died from his injuries, a murder warrant was obtained and his charges were upgraded. He is being held at the county jail as the case continues.
The investigation began last week when the Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at a home reporting an infant not breathing. Paramedics transported the child to the Children’s Hospital, where medical staff learned the baby was suffering from serious trauma. Because of the severity of the injuries, the infant was later airlifted to another hospital for further treatment.
Deputies encountered the defendant at the home and, according to Georgia authorities, he told them he had been watching his girIfriend’s baby while she was at work. He also told investigators he gave the child to eat and swaddIed the infant, put him to rest on bedding, and later discovered him unresponsive after returning from a shower, at which point he called 911.
Investigators began piecing together the circumstances surrounding the baby’s injuries through interviews, physical evidence, and medical findings. Deputies say that during the course of their inquiry, they determined that the infant’s injuries were inconsistent with a normal medical emergency and pointed toward abuse or neglect, leading them to arrest the defendant as a suspect in the case early on January 5.
Medical staff reported that the six-month-old boy suffered from multiple brain bleeds and a broken coIIarbone, injuries that medical experts and coroner officials considered life-threatening and not typical of accidental harm. The baby’s condition remained critical, and he later died from his injuries, according to authorities. Following his death, investigators obtained a murder warrant charging the caregiver with responsibility for the infant’s death.
The defendant’s status at the time of the incident complicated the investigation. According to law enforcement, he was under house arrest in another county for unrelated charges and was required to remain at his home with an ankle monitor. His girlfriend’s home, where the infant died, is more than 30 miles away, and Georgia authorities said the defendant would have needed approval from a judge to travel outside his county to be at the residence. It was unclear whether he had permission to be there.
The infant’s mother was reportedly at work when the events unfolded and was not present at the home at the time. Deputies spoke with her after arriving at the scene, and she was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Georgia authorities have not released detailed statements from her regarding what she told investigators, but public records indicate she was informed of the charges and remains a key part of the ongoing inquiry.
