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Shania Darlene Harris, left, and Braydon Jesus Pena (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
The 25-year-old parents of a 1-year-old boy in Arizona have been arrested in connection with the toddler’s death after they allegedly left him in his crib for without checking on him for more than 16 straight hours.
Braydon Jesus Pena and Shania Darlene Harris were taken into custody on Sunday and charged with child abuse and child negligence, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
The investigation into the couple began when Harris on Sunday, March 24, called 911 and told the emergency dispatcher that her 1-year-old son was not breathing, according to a report from Mesa NBC affiliate KPNX. Police reportedly noted that while on the phone with the dispatcher, Pena refused to attempt lifesaving measures on her son.
The dispatcher further noted that Harris was “hysterical,” while Pena repeatedly said that the little boy was “cold,” per the Arizona Republic.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located the child lying in a playpen in the parents’ bedroom. Police reportedly said that the little boy had bluish-purple discoloration and rigor mortis had already set in, indicating that he had died several hours ago.
“The rigor and lividity were also noted to be inconsistent with how the baby was positioned at the time of officer’s arrival,” a probable cause affidavit obtained by KPNX reportedly said.
The residence and the victim also had not been cleaned in a long time, authorities said. “It should be noted that the apartment was in a general state of disarray and unclean and it was obvious the victim had not been bathed for some time,” the affidavit said. “Scabbing could also be seen on the victims’ face, chin and leg, and it is unknown where this is from.”
In an interview with police, Pena said that his son had hydrocephalus — a neurological disorder characterized by a buildup of fluid in cavities deep inside of the brain — which he had been diagnosed with at birth. Pena reportedly said that his son was not taking medication for the disorder and had not been exhibiting any troublesome symptoms prior to his death.
Regarding the timeline of events, the couple allegedly told investigators that they put their son to bed between 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, and 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 24. The couple allegedly confirmed that they did not check on the boy again until shortly before they called 911 at about 6:30 p.m. on March 24, per the Arizona Republic.
Pena and Harris also allegedly confirmed that they woke up in the morning on March 24 and did not check on their child, even though they both left him alone while they bought breakfast at Burger King, KPNX reported. Instead, they allegedly ate their food and went back to bed, sleeping through the rest of the day until they found the boy unresponsive.
Additionally, the couple said they did not have a camera or baby monitor in the home.
Police also noted that Harris stayed near Pena during the police interview and when they were separated, she reportedly told him that he needed to get an attorney and yelled, “Don’t say anything.”
Harris and Pena are both being held at the Maricopa County Jail on $100,000 bond. They are both scheduled to appear in court on April 3.
