A Utah man has been jailed for allegedly bashing a baby’s head inside an elevator while her mother was at work, according to several sources.
Fox affiliate KSTU reported that 28-year-old Zachary Walton was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 25, following an investigation at the Midvale Road Home, a local shelter in Utah.
The Unified Police Department was dispatched to the scene at about 8 p.m. local time when officers discovered a 4-month-old newborn not breathing. They then initiated life-saving procedures, including CPR, and took the youngster to a nearby hospital.
According to a booking affidavit, the kid is in critical condition, and there is “an extremely high chance that the 4-month-old victim will die.” The publication further stated that her condition “has not improved and her brain activity is very flattened.”
According to KSL, the youngster resides with her mother at the shelter, and Walton allegedly supervised her while the mother worked a DoorDash shift on August 25. Citing the affidavit, the source stated that Walton became “very frustrated” — “probably an 8 on a 10 scale” — because the infant “would not stop crying” at the time.
Walton then allegedly brought the child to the roof, intending to vape and “destress,” instead, according to the arrest warrant, he “smashed” the infant’s head “into the metal corner of the elevator where the elevator curves to the sliding doors.” According to KSL, which also quoted police records, he allegedly repeated the action with “significant force.”
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According to the police affidavit, the child’s heart stopped and she was no longer breathing when Walton arrived on the roof with her. Police stated that the man was caught on security camera “carrying the 4-month-old limp victim around the roof for approximately 17 minutes while trying to blow into her face.” Walton eventually called the girl’s mother, and a roommate advised him to dial 911.
According to KSL, the Unified Police Department said that the infant had two skull fractures and a “significant” brain bleed.
On Saturday, August 31, the department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.
Walton was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail and charged with two charges of second-degree felony deliberate aggravated child abuse and one case of second-degree felony attempted murder.
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The Salt Lake County Jail’s inmate database shows his arrest date as August 25, as well as allegations of “murder” and “aggravated child abuse — intentionally or knowingly,” as of August 31.
It is unclear whether Walton has legal representation who can comment on his behalf.