A man accused of striking a toddler in the stomach and delaying medical treatment has been charged with murder, Pennsylvania police said.
Enrique Lopez Gomez, 30, was arrested overnight Wednesday, June 26, to Thursday, June 27, on third-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of a 21-month-old boy, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Relatives identified the toddler as Anilson Mauricio Perez Gomez , WTXF reported. It’s not clear how or if Gomez and the boy are related.
“This Defendant brutally injured a toddler under his care, failed to get the child medical care, and caused his death,” Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said in a news release.
Attorney information for Gomez wasn’t immediately available.
Police were called just before 11 p.m. Monday, June 24, about an unresponsive child at a home in Kennett Township, authorities said. Paramedics were met by the child’s mother, who had him wrapped in a blanket.
Authorities said the boy didn’t have a pulse and had “white foam coming from his nose and mouth.”
Emergency medical service officials alerted police after they saw bruising on his body when he was in an ambulance, according to the district attorney’s office.
The toddler was rushed to a hospital where he died at 12:16 a.m., authorities said.
Authorities said an autopsy found the boy died from blunt force trauma to his abdomen.
An investigation revealed Gomez had hit the boy, causing his fatal injuries, the district attorney’s office said.
It’s believed the incident happened at a home in West Grove, and the boy was taken to another home in Kennett Township after falling ill, WCAU and WTXF reported, citing authorities.
There, Gomez reportedly performed a “Guatemalan healing ritual” and left, WTXF reported, citing court documents. The child’s uncle eventually called 911, documents obtained by the outlet said.
De Barrena-Sarobe told reporters that “hours lapsed before any kind of medical attention” was sought for the injured child, WCAU reported.
Gomez was taken to jail, and his bond was set at $10 million cash, according to the district attorney.
“It’s difficult to fathom how someone could do this,” de Barrena-Sarobe said in the release.
Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.
Kennett Township is about a 40-mile drive southwest from downtown Philadelphia.
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