"Newborn John" DEMRY-ROBINSON - 5 weeks - Kent/ Seattle WA

Two Kent parents accused of shaking and starving their month-old infant have been charged with child abuse-related crimes.

King County prosecutors contend Christopher C. Robinson and Ta Rae
Demry allowed their 5-week-old son to starve after misplacing their
state benefit coupons. Robinson, 20, is also accused of shaking the
child so hard he suffered significant brain injuries.

Writing the court, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Charles Sergis claimed
Demry, 19, also admitted to shaking the boy, and feeding the child water
when she ran out of formula.

“Both of these acts could have killed the victim,” Sergis told the court.

“The defendant(s) failed to properly care for the victim by not
feeding him for at least two days and not taking him to a doctor when
any reasonable person would know that the victim was in dire need of
medical care,” the prosecutor continued.

Kent police were contacted by staff at Mary Bridge Children’s
Hospital on July 16 after the boy was delivered to the emergency
room there.

According to charging documents, the boy appeared “extremely frail
and skeletal looking” when he arrived at the hospital. A medical scan
showed the boy’s brain was bleeding, and that he’d previously suffered
head injuries.

Speaking with detectives, a doctor at the hospital said the boy had
suffered “extensive brain damage” and that he was “at least neglected
and likely abused,” according to charging documents. The exact severity
of the boy’s injuries was not known at the time charges were filed.

Investigators interviewed Robinson and Demry, who said the boy had
been living on water alone for some time, a Kent detective told the
court. Robinson allegedly told investigators Demry had lost their state
assistance coupon for formula and that they were unable to buy more for
their son.

“Robinson said he was shocked to hear that (his son) has brain damage
and state(d) he has no idea who could have caused this,” the Kent
detective continued.

Demry and Robinson both reported that the boy had been suffering
seizures in the week before he was admitted to Mary Bridge, according to
charging documents.

Prosecutors have charged Robinson with first-degree assault of a
child. Both have been charged with second-degree criminal mistreatment,
and remain jailed.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Kent-parents-charged-with-assaulting-starving-1716948.php#ixzz1U59VHofL