Infant girl dies after dad slaps her so hard she stops breathing, police say

An 8-month-old Massachusetts girl has died days after her father allegedly smacked her so hard that she stopped breathing multiple times.

MassLive.com reported that father Daniel Torres, 28, will likely face new charges following the death of his infant daughter Lily. The 8-month-old, who police said died Monday evening, had been on life support since being admitted to Baystate Nobel Hospital on Saturday.

The outlet reported that Lily had to be resuscitated six times at Baystate Hospital before she was transported to Baystate Medical Center. Paramedics reportedly also performed CPR on the infant twice as she was being taken out the ambulance.

Medical staff said Lily suffered significant brain bleed, brain swelling, retinal hemorrhaging, and bruising to her face and right shin.

“Doctors informed police that it was unlikely that the infant would recover and there was almost no brain function at all. As of the time of this report, the infant was on life support as medical authorities stated she would not survive without it,” Officer Richard Mazza said in court records obtained by MassLive.

According to documents, Daniel initially told police that he didn’t know how Lily sustained such serious injuries. Court records stated that he admitted to smacking his infant daughter in a “fit of frustration” before putting her down for a nap. He allegedly called for help that afternoon—hours after administering a beating authorities say proved fatal.

The newspaper noted that the slain infant’s mother was at work at the time of her death.

Daniel was arraigned Monday on charges of assault and battery on a child with substantial injury, assault and battery, reckless endangerment of a child, and misleading a police officer. He’s currently jailed on $1 million bail.

The medical examiner’s office is scheduled to perform an autopsy. The results will determine whether prosecutors will file new charges against the Massachusetts father.

 

[Featured image: Daniel Torres/Westfield police; Lily Torres/Facebook]