WAMBLI THUNDERHAWK - 4 Months (2010)/ Convicted: Father; William Thunderhawk - Oakland CA

Updated: 12/10/2010 03:23:34 PM PSTOAKLAND -- A father whose 4-month-old baby died from injuries consistent with being suffocated faces 25 years to life in prison after he was charged Friday with assaulting a child under 8 years old, causing death, according to the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.Father of dead 4-month-old boy faces 25 years to life in prison

William Thunderhawk, 26, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder but was charged Friday with a child abuse criminal law that can result in the same prison time as a murder conviction.Since the death of the child, Thunderhawk had been at the John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro for observation. He is now being held in the North County Jail.According to a probable cause arrest warrant written by detectives at the Oakland Police Department, Thunderhawk admitted that he had placed his son face down on a couch in the family's apartment because the child would not stop crying. The incident occurred when the son's mother, Marjorie Castaneda, 31, went to the store, the warrant states."When officers informally spoke with William Thunderhawk he told them that the victim began to cry and he did not know what to do so he placed the child face down on the sofa and pushed the victim's face down twice into the sofa crevice area," the warrant states.Police became aware of the case late last month when doctors at Children's Hospital Oakland notified the department that a baby who suffered possible child abuse had been admitted to their emergency room. The child, Wambli Thunderhawk, had visible injuries, the doctors told police. Last Sunday, the baby boy died.An autopsy performed this week determined that Wambli had injuries consistent with suffocation and three fractured ribs, police said. The autopsy also revealed that the injuries could have occurred a week before the baby was taken to the hospital.Wambli had lived with his father, his mother and a 5-year-old brother in an apartment in the 1600 block of 6th Avenue.http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16827281?nclick_check=1

Oakland Man Sentenced To 11 Years For Death of 4-Month-Old Son

By: Tony Cassara - Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:47:44 -0800

OAKLAND (BCN) -- An Oakland man was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years in state prison for the suffocation death of his 4-month-old son.

William Thunderhawk, 28, was charged with murder and felony child abuse causing death for the death of his infant son, Wambli Thunderhawk, on Dec. 5, 2010.

If he had been convicted of those charges he would have faced a sentence of 25 years to life.

But on Feb. 21 he pleaded no contest to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

William Thunderhawk initially was held on suspicion of child abuse after his son was hospitalized with suspicious injuries on Nov. 28, 2010. But the charges against him were upgraded after Wambli died from his injuries on Dec. 5, 2010, and an autopsy determined that the boy had injuries consistent with suffocation and also revealed that he had three fractured ribs.

Wambli was taken to Children's Hospital Oakland on Nov. 28, 2010, from the family's apartment in the 1600 block of Sixth Avenue in Oakland, where he lived with his father, his mother, Marjorie Castaneda, 31, and a brother who was five years old at the time.

The next day, Oakland police began investigating the possibility that Wambli was the victim of child abuse.

Thunderhawk's attorney, Eric Mirzaian, said Tuesday that, "Everything about his post-incident conduct proves that he had no intent to harm his child."

Mirzaian said Thunderhawk "made frantic attempts to resuscitate his child and called 911" to report that his son was injured.

He said Thunderhawk "has been through hell and back because he lost his child and is physically separated from his family."

Mirzaian said Thunderhawk's wife didn't want authorities to prosecute him because the death of their son "is not something he intended to happen."

Thunderhawk "didn't intend to harm his child and feels deep and genuine remorse" about Wambli's death, Mirzaian said.

He said, "This has been a very difficult and challenging case and the plea agreement was the result of extensive negotiations with the District Attorney's Office."

Prosecutors weren't available for comment on the case Tuesday.

Mirzaian said Thunderhawk's sentencing "is the end of a very long road and he his family can now move forward with their lives."

Thunderhawk has already been in custody for 15 months and will be eligible for parole in about eight years.

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