INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis father is under arrest after a 1-year-old infant girl died nearly one week after being admitted into a hospital in critical condition.
Damian Milton, 28, was arrested and charged with serious bodily injury of a minor resulting in death.
On the last day of July, at a home on Southeastern, police were called after 1-year-old Amaya Milton struggled to breathe and became unresponsive.
The young victim died six days after arriving at Riley Hospital with brain swelling and torn ligaments in her neck.
Doctors at Riley Hospital told police the girl’s injuries, which proved fatal, appeared to be from abuse.
Court records show the girl’s father initially claimed her injuries may have stemmed from a fall at his home on Meridian several days earlier.
According to the affidavit, Milton eventually admitted he sometimes became aggressive with his daughter. He then allegedly confessed he got mad at the girl for being fussy and yanked her by the arm, gave her a bear hug and squeezed her neck while she gasped for air.
“Being a new parent is difficult. We understand that, so reach out for help,” said IMPD Sgt. Genae Cook.
In this case, the child’s mother told police she was at work the day the girl was hurt at the home on Southeastern.
IMPD encourages all parents to ask for help from a relative, friend or neighbor if they get stressed out by their child.
“You know there’s a saying it takes a village to raise a family and it really does. We need to lean on other people,” said Cook.
Anyone who suspects a child is being abused can also reach out to Indiana’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. That number is 1-800-800-5556.
“These children can’t talk so as parents and community members we all have to speak for them,” said Cook.
The suspect is being held on an $80,000 bond at the Marion County jail pending the filing of formal charges.
The suspect’s mother claims her son did not intend to hurt the child. She believes the child suffered a head injury when she fell a week earlier and thinks that may have contributed to the death. She says doctors at Riley did not perform a brain scan when the baby was taken to the hospital for the fall on July 25th.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Jamie Hadley at the IMPD Child Abuse Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail her at Jamie.Hadley@indy.gov.
