Teen Dad Faces Reckless Homicide Charge In Fatal Assault Of 1-Month-Old Baby

A 17-year-old father has been charged with reckless homicide for allegedly beating his 1-month-old baby to death. The teen is also facing additional charges for physically abusing his other child.

Authorities responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive infant and arrived at a home in LaSalle Street of Racine, Wisconsin, on Feb. 14, a criminal complaint released Monday stated.

The officers found a 39-day-old infant dead inside the home. The father, Shavale Powell, and an 18-year-old woman named, Javian Clark, were at the home when the officers arrived, NBC-affiliated WTMJ-TV reported.

The investigators found another child in the home, and noticed the toddler had an injury to his left eye and also had suffered significant bruising.

When asked, the parents told the officers the child suffered the injury when he slipped in the shower and hit his face. The complaint stated Clark was at work and Powell was at home when the incident took place.

The infant's body was taken for autopsy and the medical examiner's office revealed the baby died from blunt force trauma to the head, chest, and extremities. The death was ruled as a homicide, WTMJ-TV reported.

Meanwhile, the Racine County Children's Advocacy Center ruled the injuries on the older child had come from severe physical abuse, according to prosecutors.

Officers after further investigation learned the older child suffered the injury on his eye in February last year when he was just five months old, the complaint stated. The child was rushed to an emergency room and was diagnosed with a severe subconjunctival hemorrhage.

During the interrogation, neither parent was able to give a convincing answer as to what kind of trauma caused such a serious injury to the child.

Powell was charged Monday with first-degree reckless homicide. Court records revealed Clark was not facing any charges as of now. But citing the Racine County District Attorney, the Racine Journal Times reported that she is expected to be charged on Tuesday.

Powell's preliminary court hearing is scheduled for March 4. If found guilty, he could spend up to 72 years behind bars and pay $20,000 in fines.