ALEXIS VanHOUTAN -5 months- Coon Rapids (N Minneapolis) MN

Charges upgraded after death of Coon Rapids baby


May 17, 2011
Charges against a Coon Rapids man accused of shaking his 5-month-old daughter were upgraded Tuesday to unintentional second-degree murder after the girl died.
Joshua VanHoutan, 25, had been charged with first-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child after Alexis VanHoutan was injured last Wednesday. Alexis died in the hospital Sunday night after life support was removed.
VanHoutan, who remains jailed and is scheduled to appear in Anoka County District Court on Wednesday, is accused of shaking Alexis twice as he looked after her on May 11. Surgery was needed to relieve bleeding on her brain.
According to the criminal complaint, Tiny Ginter, Alexis' mother, told police that VanHoutan called her at work saying that something was wrong. He called again later and said that Alexis wouldn't wake up. Ginter went home and took the baby to the hospital.
VanHoutan told police Alexis had been crying "a little bit," seemed to be a little sleepier than usual that morning and that she would only open her eyes "a little bit," according to the charges against him. When he put the baby back to sleep, he said, she cried briefly and settled down. A few minutes later, he said, the baby wouldn't wake up, and she was limp, the charges said.
VanHoutan told police he didn't initially call a doctor because he didn't want to miss work.
He also said Alexis could be a little fussier than her twin sister.

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/121997854.html