Man charged in baby's death
7-week-old dies from brain trauma
A 23-year-old man is accused in the death of his girlfriend's infant, a 7-week-old baby in Boone County.
Boone County Sheriff's spokesman Tom Scheben released the information Friday, saying Cody Phelps of Walton will have a preliminary hearing Monday in Boone District Court on a charge of manslaughter.
Phelps was left to care for his girlfriend's baby on Nov. 5 when Boone County sheriff's deputies and emergency medical services were called to 10783 Calle Victoria Lane at about 6:15 p.m. for a 7-week-old who'd stopped breathing.
Phelps told the first responders that he was changing the baby's diaper when the child stopped breathing, Scheben stated in a press release. The baby was transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Florence, where he was pronounced dead.
Then on Nov. 7, sheriff's deputies arrested Phelps at about 12:40 p.m. Phelps, of 10709 Calle Victoria Lane, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and first-degree criminal abuse in the infant's death. The charge came after a medical examiner determined that the baby died because of severe head trauma, Scheben said.
Phelps remained in the Boone County jail on Friday.
The sheriff's spokesman did not release any additional details.