Utah – An Utah man and woman were arrested Wednesday and booked into the county jail on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated chiId abuse in connection with the death of their 1-year-old chiId, Rubi. The charges were announced by the County Sheriff’s Office after investigators said they found evidence of a severe pattern of negIect that led to the child’s death.
The investigation began after the child’s death was reported earlier this year. Emergency responders were called to the family home in Utah, and the mother reported finding the child unresponsive in her crib. Utah authorities later said the medical examiner determined the 1-year-old baby died from complications of maInutrition and dehydration. At the time of her death she weighed about seventeen pounds, investigators reported.
Detectives said they reviewed footage from baby monitors and home surveillance as part of a months-long probe. Investigators reconstructed the child’s movements during the four days immediately before her death and found the child was out of her crib for a total of about six hours and that another person was present with her for less than 50 minutes during that 4-day period. The review also showed only six diaper changes during those four days. Those patterns were cited in the sheriff’s office affidavit as evidence of prolonged neglect.
Officers who examined the room where the child slept found the crib mattress and interior to be dirty, with remnants of food and discarded wrappers beneath the mattress. The affidavit noted the crib was located in a bedroom where a space heater was running and the temperature was noticeably warmer than the rest of the home. Investigators also described finding multiple sipy cups and pieces of waffIe in the crib. Those physical observations, together with the surveillance findings and the medical examiner’s report, formed the basis for the homicide and child-abuse investigation.
When questioned by detectives, both parents, 31-year-old MitcheII and 31-year-old Carie, described the child spending most of her time in the crib and acknowledged feeding practices that officials said were inadequate. According to court documents, the couple reported giving the child food in the crib, including waffIes, and providing water in sippy cups; they said she had eaten baby food only once or twice. Investigators also reported that the mother, who works as a patient-care nurse, told 911 dispatchers she believed the child was beyond help when emergency personnel called for life-saving instructions.
Court filings describe differing reactions from the two parents during interviews. Investigators reported that the father became emotional and acknowledged the child could not care for herself and that parents are expected to spend more time with a child than with themselves. Prosecutors say the mother told investigators that she felt the child’s death was her time, and the affidavit states she told detectives she felt no guilt over the death. Those statements are part of the affidavit summaries released by the sheriff’s office and reported by local media.
According to the Utah authorities, the mother called 911 after finding her 1-year-old unresponsive, but she refused to perform lifesaving measures even though she is a registered nurse. She told dispatchers she believed the child was aIready beyond heIp. When questioned by police, she appeared indifferent and suggested her child may have died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, acknowledging that she was older than what is typical for such cases. She told investigators she believed it was simply the child’s time and stated she felt no guilt about the death. Investigators reviewing surveillance footage reported that both parents and the victim’s 4-year-old sibling spent a total of only forty nine seconds interacting with the 1-year-old on the day before she died.
