Upper Darby baby’s death ruled a homicide

File: Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood
File: Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood
BY STEPHANIE FARR, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: May 08, 2012

The November death of a 4-month-old Upper Darby boy has been ruled a homicide, and all four family members who were present in the house when the child was found are now refusing to cooperate with authorities, police said Sunday.

The infant was found unresponsive in his home about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 6 and was taken to Delaware County Memorial Hospital, where doctors were able to get the boy breathing again, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

The child, who showed no signs of trauma, was then transported to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, but he died four days later, police said.

On May 1, police received autopsy results that showed that the boy had a fractured right femur, which is consistent with child abuse, Chitwood said. Beyond that, the child’s cause of death was listed as a cranial issue, and the manner of death was listed as homicide, Chitwood said.

Four family members were in the house with the child when he was found unresponsive — his 38-year-old mother, his 17-year-old sister, his 21-year-old cousin and a 38-year-old family friend whom the children referred to as an uncle, Chitwood said.

All four initially cooperated with police but clammed up and retained lawyers once the death was ruled a homicide, he said.

“They know who killed that baby. It’s a family member that killed this kid, and they’re not cooperating and that’s a disgrace,” Chitwood said. “The police care more about this child than the family does.” n

Contact Stephanie Farr at 215-854-4225 or farrs@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @FarFarrAway.

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