Inset: Arnold Barney (Maricopa County Jail). Background: The apartment complex where Arnold allegedly beat his newborn son to death (KTVK).
A 19-year-old father from Arizona has been charged with the murder of his 6-week-old baby, accused of fatally beating the infant with multiple blows to the head. Arnold Barney is currently facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of child abuse, according to records.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 28, officers from the Mesa Police Department, along with emergency medical staff, responded to a report at an apartment complex on the 1000 block of South Longmore, about 18 miles east of Phoenix, as reported by local CBS affiliate KTVK. Upon arrival, they found the baby experiencing “respiratory distress” and quickly transported him to a hospital for treatment.
Tragically, the child did not survive, succumbing to injuries that included numerous bruises, internal trauma, and a brain bleed, and was pronounced dead the following morning.
Court documents obtained by the station provided additional details regarding the circumstances of the infant”s death and Barney’s arrest.
The mother informed police that she had left her son under Barney’s care at approximately 7:30 p.m. to go shopping. Upon her return, she noticed the baby still lying on the bed with visible bruises on his face and struggling to breathe. Barney reportedly did not respond when she inquired about the situation, prompting her to call 911.
Investigations revealed that the mother frequently expressed frustration with Barney, as he was unemployed and rarely assisted with the baby or their other child, preferring to spend his time on video games and watching videos on his tablet. She mentioned that arguments about his lack of support often led to him angrily punching holes in the walls.
Police subsequently arrested Barney. After being informed of his Miranda rights, he agreed to an interrogation during which he confirmed he had been alone with the child while the mother was shopping, according to a report by Phoenix Fox affiliate KSAZ.
“[Barney] advised he had woken up from a nap on the couch when alerted to the infant’s crying. [Barney] stated the child had been cradled in his arms without his knowledge, and had rolled off onto the floor face first,” a probable cause affidavit reportedly said. “[Barney] then admitted this was not true, and he had in fact struck the infant with two open-handed slaps to the face.”
The accused killer went on to change his story again, allegedly confessing that he struck the infant in the head and face about six times because the baby would not stop crying.
“[Barney] stated that after injuring the infant, he swaddled the infant and propped a bottle up for him to feed on,” police reportedly wrote. “[Barney] then returned to the couch in the living room until the infant’s mother returned home.”
The document reportedly states that Barney “expressed regret for his actions” as he “understood that they were wrong,” before telling detectives that he “wished to tell the infant’s mother that he was sorry for killing the child.”
After being processed at the Mesa County Jail, a judge ordered him to be held in lieu of $1 million bond. He is currently scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 7, records show.
