MANDEVILLE, La. — A 5-month-old baby died in the hospital Sunday, allegedly killed by their own father.
According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, 21-year-old Brian Young admitted to throwing his child to the ground and striking the child's head against the metal bars of a swing set at their Mandeville home.
Police say the baby was taken to the hospital after 5 p.m. on Thursday after the child's mother called 911 to report that Young had told her the baby had stopped breathing while she was at work.
He was home alone with the infant at the time.
The child was taken to the hospital, where doctors discovered injuries consistent with child abuse.
“This was an innocent and helpless baby,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “The idea that his precious life was taken by his own father is incomprehensible. I applaud our deputies and detectives who worked this very sad case.”
Young was originally booked on second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, but that charge has been upgraded to first degree murder. He also faces two misdemeanor counts: possession with intent to distribute and having a controlled substance in the presence of a minor. Authorities said they found the drugs inside the home where the abuse took place.
More Stories:
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
“This was an innocent and helpless baby,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “The idea that his precious life was taken by his own father is incomprehensible. I applaud our deputies and detectives who worked this very sad case.”