MIDVALE, Utah, Sept. 6, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) – A first-degree felony murder charge, and two second-degree felony aggravated child abuse charges have been filed in the death of a 4-month-old infant girl.
According to a press release from Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill’s office, the defendant, Zachary Jarred Walton, 29, described as a “family friend,” was caring for the infant at the Road Home Shelter in Midvale, where he and the child’s mother both lived.
The mother was working the night of Aug. 25 when the infant sustained fatal injuries while in Walton’s care, the D.A.’s office said.
Walton allegedly told police, [the infant] had slept most the day, but she was awake and crying in the evening.
“The defendant decided to take the infant to the roof to calm her down,” the release said, “but he told police that when he got into the elevator, he hit her head against the elevator twice, using significant force.”
Surveillance video allegedly shows when Walton exited the elevator, “the infant’s head went limp, and he tried blowing in her face for around 17 minutes, as if he was trying to wake her up, before he took her down to the lobby, where she started to get medical attention and was eventually transported to the hospital.”
Doctors at Primary Children’s Hospital determined “the infant had skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, and both acute and healing rib fractures. The healing rib fractures were from approximately two to three weeks before, indicating the baby had been maltreated on more than one occasion,” the D.A.’s release release said.
When the defendant was asked about the broken ribs, he allegedly said he had “squeezed the baby hard because he was excited to see her and forced air out of her lungs, but he didn’t hear a crack.”
A babysitting log at the shelter showed that Walton had been caring for the infant, and her siblings, on and off for about three weeks.
The 4-month-old was taken off life support and died this morning, Gill’s office said.
“If you are struggling to give the proper care for children that you are responsible for, please ask for help. This infant death is a tragedy that could have been avoided. We are committed to seeking justice and accountability for this young child and her family,” Gill said.
“We appreciate the tireless work of Unified Police Detectives that helped put this case together and lead to these charges.”
