A Minnesota man has been charged with murder after his girlfriend’s 14-month-old daughter died of “multiple head and neck injuries” while she was alone in his care, according to online court records and local authorities.
Erik Adrian Blanco, 40, of Little Falls, Minnesota, was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with one count of second-degree first-degree murder and one count of second-degree first-degree murder in the death of a toddler, online court records show. During his initial court appearance Friday, a judge set Blanco’s bail at $1 million, according to Morrison County Jail records.
An autopsy conducted by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the girl, identified as Riverlynn VanNorman, died of “multiple head and neck injuries consistent with homicidal violence,” according to a statement from the Little Falls Police Department (LFPD).
Newsweek reached out via email Saturday to the LFPD and the Morrison County State’s Attorney’s Office for comment.
Erik Adrian Blanco, 40, of Little Falls, Minnesota, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend’s 14-month-old daughter. Morrison County Sheriff’s Office
It is not clear whether Blanco has hired an attorney to speak on his behalf.
VanNorman and her mother, identified as Raylynn Skroch, had been living temporarily with Blanco, Skroch’s boyfriend, for about a week before the girl died, according to LFPD.
Skroch called 911 shortly after 9:20 p.m. on July 6 and told a dispatcher that her child was “choking on vomit and not breathing,” according to a probable cause affidavit shared online by the local outlet Star tribune. When police and paramedics arrived at the home on Third Street Northeast in Little Falls, they found VanNorman unresponsive and saw bruises on her face along with marks on her neck, according to LFPD officials cited in court documents.
The girl was immediately transferred to St. Gabriel’s in Little Falls, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Skroch told police that before calling 911, she left her daughter in the care of Blanco while she “went to a liquor store for a short time,” documents state. When she returned, the child was not breathing and Blanco was performing CPR, she said.
When LFPD officers first arrived at Blanco’s home, Skroch was hysterical and “screaming her daughter’s name,” according to court documents, which said Blanco was allegedly seen praying repeatedly, “but was otherwise not emotional “.
Skroch reported to investigators that she noticed bruises on VanNorman’s neck earlier that day after Blanco showered the girl, according to the documents. When questioned about the marks on her daughter’s neck, Blanco told Skroch that the girl had slipped and injured herself, court documents state.
During a subsequent interview with investigators, Blanco’s explanations of how VanNorman sustained his injuries contradicted what he had previously reported. He told officers he did not injure the girl, court documents state.
Little Falls Police Chief Greg Schimers called VanNorman’s death a “heartbreaking tragedy” in a statement.
“This case has deeply affected our community, and our thoughts and condolences go out to Riverlynn’s family at this unimaginably difficult time,” Schimmers said. “The pain and sadness they feel is shared by the entire community. We would also like to express our gratitude to the community for their patience, understanding and support during this long and difficult investigation.”
Blanco has a history of child abuse and other violent crimes, according to court documents shared with Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).
Online records show Blanco was convicted of felony domestic assault in 2017, theft of a firearm or property valued over $35,000 in 2016, receiving stolen property in 2014, assault with a dangerous weapon in 2014, disorderly conduct and obstruction in 2006, and assault. serious bodily injuries in 2001.
In the 2001 case, Blanco pleaded guilty to assaulting a one-year-old child who suffered a “major skull fracture” while in his care, online records show.
Categories: Trending
Source: newstars.edu.vn