CLAYDEN URBANEK - 1 yo - Salina KS

(SALINA, Kan.)—

Family members try to make sense of the death of a one-year-old boy. Salina police say
Clayden Urbanek died as a result of child abuse. They found him covered
in bruises and suffering from internal injuries Tuesday. He died at the hospital.

Police arrived at the Salina home because the boy's mother called 911. Her
boyfriend called her at work and told her to come home because Clayden
was acting strange. When they arrived, he was lifeless and cold to the
touch. Captain Mike Sweeney says it was obvious he had been abused.

Police later arrested the mother's 27-year-old boyfriend and booked him
into jail for child abuse and felony murder. He was also wanted on a
warrant by the Department of Corrections. He was out on parole for drug
and burglary convictions.

"He deserves justice. He's 15 months old, he didn't need this and he didn't
deserve this," said Rosina Hoffman. She's the great aunt of Clayden on
his dad's side. Hoffman says they didn't get to see Clayden very
often, but he was adored by the family. "He was a go getter and he was
picky, if he didn't like you he wasn't going to you," she said.

Hoffman says his dad tried to spend as much time as possible with him. She
doesn't know the mother or her boyfriend very well. She's now putting
her faith in the justice system and hopes the suspect gets life in
prison for what she calls a tragedy.

Captain Sweeney says based on Clayden's injuries, this was not a one time abuse
situation. However he says they had never been called to the house
before. He says it's up to the community to keep watch of young kids.
Sweeney says if you suspect any kind of abuse or are concerned about a
child to call police or SRS. He says you can remain anonymous. If they
receive a call, he says they check it out immediately to try and
prevent situations like this.
http://www.kansascw.com/kscw/news/kwch-news-redm-salina-child-death-20111005,0,5022177.story

Salina police are investigating the murder of a 14-month-old boy and have arrested one man in the case.

The victim is Clayden Urbanek. The child's mother first called authorities
to the home in the 600 block of west Prescott Tuesday morning. She said
her 27-year-old boyfriend had been with the child and called the mother
at work to say the child was not acting right.

When officers arrived, they found the child without a pulse, not breathing and cold to
the touch. They say they also found bruising on the child's arms, torso and legs.

The boy was taken to the Salina Regional Health Center
where he was resuscitated and then transferred to Wesley Medical Center
in Wichita where he died Tuesday afternoon. Officers say the boy had a
broken rib, a tear to his intestines and a perforated bowel which caused internal bleeding.

Investigators say it's one of the worst cases of child abuse they've ever seen.

"We do investigate several child abuse cases, but not many to this
extreme," said Captain Mike Sweeney, Salina Police Department.
Clayden's family says he was a wonderful little boy.
"If he didn't like you, he didn't go to you," said Rosina Hoffman, a family
member. "If he didn't know you, he didn't go to you. He was a
go-getter, he was a babe."
Those in the neighborhood say its tough to see an energetic child's life cut so short.
"It's just traumatic for the entire community that a defenseless child can be
subject to this type of torture, in my opinion," said Capt. Sweeney.
The suspect was not at the home when officers arrived there to investigate.
The man was later arrested Tuesday evening in Salina. He is now jailed
pending formal felony murder charges.
http://www.ksn.com/content/news/bureaus/story/Man-arrested-for-murder-in-death-of-Salina-toddler/hnKJPAWwWEWnOF7gi274BA.cspx

SALINA — A Salina man is jailed on $1 million bond after being charged in the death of his girlfriend’s 14-month-old son.

Antonio M. Brown Sr. was charged Thursday with first-degree murder, child abuse and interference with a law enforcement officer.

Brown is accused in the Tuesday beating death of Clayden Lee Urbanek.
Brown was dating the boy’s mother, who hasn’t been publicly identified.

Brown is scheduled to appear in court Friday after an attorney is appointed for him.

Police say the mother notified 911 after Brown called her home from
work because the boy was having trouble breathing. He died at a Wichita
hospital.
http://cjonline.com/news/2011-10-06/bond-set-suspect-salina-babys-death#.To3_THK3N2I

I wonder if they will be charging the mother too as it sounds like there has been ongoing abuse. Poor baby. He's adorable.

Brittney Betzold, 19, 612 W. Prescott, the mother of a toddler who
Salina police say was murdered, was arrested Tuesday on charges of
felony murder, aggravated child endangerment and felony obstructing the
legal process, according to a news release from the Salina Police
Department.

On Oct. 4, officers and EMS responded to Betzold's home in reference to a
14-month-old, Clayden Urbanek, who was not breathing and was cold to
the touch. Clayden was treated at the Salina Regional Health Center and
transferred to a Wichita hospital, where he died.

Police previously had arrested Antonio Brown, 27, 612 W. Prescott, for
felony murder and child abuse in connection with Clayden's death.
http://www.saljournal.com/news/story/mom10-18-11

A 19-year-old Salina mother accused of murdering her toddler made a
first appearance Thursday morning in Saline County District Court via
closed circuit television.
Brittney Betzold was ordered to appear in court again at 10 a.m. Monday with her attorney. Bond was set at $500,000.
Judge Patrick Thompson read for Betzold the four counts against her,
which if proved could send her to prison for the rest of her life.
Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell said three alternative counts of
felony murder are being brought against Betzold, but if she were to be
found guilty she would be found guilty of only one of the three.
Felony murder is first-degree murder committed during commission of an
inherently dangerous felony. The first alternative count alleges that
felony was aggravated endangerment of a child.
The second and third alternatives allege the felony was two different
theories of child abuse: inflicting cruel and inhumane corporal
punishment or aiding and abetting in torturing or cruelly beating a
child.
Officials allege the acts occurred between Sept. 26 and Oct. 4.
The sentencing range for felony murder is life in prison with a minimum
mandatory sentence of not less than 20 years and a possible fine of
$500,000.
The second count is aggravated endangerment of a child, a felony charge with a possible sentence of 17 months in prison.
In the third count, Betzold is accused of aiding or abetting another
person in torturing or cruelly beating a child. The possible sentence
range is 31 to 136 months in prison.
The final count is interference with a law enforcement officer and
obstructing performance of official duty. That charge carries a sentence
of up to 17 months.
Antonio “Tony” M. Brown Sr., 27, Betzold’s boyfriend, also faces felony
murder charges in connection with the Oct. 4 death of 14-month-old
Clayden Lee Urbanek.
http://www.saljournal.com/news/story/momcourt10-20-11

The mother of a murdered 14-month-old toddler, along with her boyfriend,
were in a Saline County Courtroom Monday morning.Brittney
Betzold, 19, and her boyfriend Antonio Brown, 27, are both charged with
first-degree murder in the death of Clayden Urbanek.
Betzold sobbed throughout the court proceedings, in which Judge Young determined
both suspects would appear in court on December 12, for their
preliminary hearings. That's when prosecutors will lay out the case
against the two and a judge will determine if there is enough evidence
to send the case to trial.
Prosecutors are not releasing many
details about the case. Betzold was charged October 20 with murder,
interference with law enforcement and endangering a child.
"This whole thing should have gone differently, she should not have been
charged with this," said Hannah Clary, family friend.
"She was a great mom, she was young, a young mom. She did good,
she did great," said Tami Lewis, Betzold's mother.
Officers initially said that Brown was caring for the child October 4 while
Betzold was at work. They say he called her at work when the child
wasn't acting right. Betzold came home and called police. Paramedics
said they found the child without a pulse and not breathing and cold to
the touch. He was covered with bruises, and had multiple internal
injuries. Urbanek was revived and taken to a Wichita hospital where he
died. Brown was arrested within hours of the child's death. Betzold was
arrested about 2 weeks later.

http://www.ksn.com/news/local/story/Mother-boyfriend-appear-in-court-in-Salina/2azqRF0MNEi-feuv5QOVIw.cspx

Hearing set for pair accused in child's death

12/12/2011
ERIN MATHEWS


A preliminary hearing for two people accused of causing the death of a 14-month-old boy has been scheduled in January.
The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Jan. 11 in Saline County District Court for Brittney N. Betzold and co-defendant Antonio “Tony” M. Brown Sr., but it may be rescheduled if an autopsy report has not been received by that date.
Betzold, 19, and Brown, 27, both appeared in court Monday with their attorneys so the preliminary hearing could be scheduled.
They are accused of felony murder and other charges in connection with the Oct. 4 death of Betzold‘s son, Clayden Lee Urbanek. According to police, Brown had been home alone with Clayden on the day he died and called Betzold at work to tell her something was wrong with the toddler. Brown was arrested for child abuse and felony murder that day, and Betzold was arrested later.
Police said Clayden had bruises all over his body, in various stages of healing, and internal injuries. According to the charges filed against Brown, the beatings that resulted in Clayden’s death occurred between Sept. 26 and Oct. 4.

http://www.salina.com/news/story/Betzold-Brown-hearing-12-12-11

Beaten to death

Friday, April 06, 2012 3:09 AM
By ERIN MATHEWS Salina Journal

Medical professionals described 14-month-old Clayden Lee Urbanek's injuries as the worst they'd ever seen, and other witnesses at a preliminary hearing Thursday related instances when the Salina toddler's mother allegedly failed to protect her son.

Saline County District Court Judge Rene Young heard a full day of testimony about the child's pain-filled final days of life and about the "extraordinary force" allegedly used on the boy that witnesses said caused his death.

Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell said five additional witnesses will testify when the hearing resumes May 23 before Young decides whether Brittney N. Betzold, 20, and co-defendant Antonio M. "Tony" Brown Sr., 28, should stand trial.

Betzold, Clayden's mother, and Brown, her live-in boyfriend who supervised the toddler while Betzold was at work, are accused of felony murder and other charges in connection with the boy's Oct. 4 death.

Young heard a recording of Betzold's hysterical 911 call, which was placed at 10:44 a.m. A receptionist for Tony's Pizza testified that nearly an hour and 45 minutes before that, a man called the business asking for Betzold and reporting an emergency with her child. She said she could hear the boy crying in the background.

Salina police officer John Kreno-wicz was the first emergency re- sponder in the door at 10:47 a.m. He said he saw a child with bruises from head to toe, eyes open and no signs of life lying on the couch.

Krenowicz said that Greg Brockway, Emergency Medical Services chief for the Salina Fire Department, came in right behind him and "immediately picked Clayden up and ran out the front door with him, directly to an ambulance."

Krenowicz said he determined that no one but Betzold was in the house, and she told him her boyfriend had gone to the drugstore for medicine.

"I asked her what his name was, and her first response was, 'I don't know,' " he said.

"I asked her how she could not know her boyfriend's name who she left her child with, and she said it was Tony Brown," Krenowicz said.

He said Betzold then explained that the toddler had been falling down a lot since he cut his foot recently.

Dr. Kimberly Molik, a pediatric surgeon, described the force used against Clayden as "very significant" and "extraordinary" and said he had injuries so severe no one in the operating room at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita had ever seen anything like it.

"Quite frankly, it was the worst thing I've ever seen in my life," Molik testified.

Molik described the emergency surgery on Clayden's distended abdomen, in which 12 inches of intestine that had died was removed and efforts were made to repair three tears that had caused significant internal bleeding.

The surgical repairs were done quickly, and then the baby was sent back to intensive care, where efforts continued to resuscitate and stabilize the child, she said. Clayden was dead within 45 minutes.

Molik said the fatal injuries would have been inflicted upon Clayden within a few hours to a day of his death. She said he could have survived the injuries if he had gotten help sooner.

The abdominal injuries were the cause of Clayden's death. However, in addition to those injuries, his face, head and body were covered with bruises and scrapes. His entire buttocks had turned a dark purple to black hue and the damage could be seen nearly an inch deep into the tissue and skin of his buttocks, said Dr. Jamie Oeberst, a forensic pathologist who conducted Clayden's autopsy.

Oeberst said that, estimating conservatively, she found 60 areas of bruising or scrapes on Clayden's head and neck, including 12 separate areas of injuries on his scalp; 26 external injuries to his torso and 20 to his arms and legs. She said she observed swelling in his brain, but that was not what killed Clayden.

She said the intentionally inflicted injuries were delivered with a force comparable to the force of a motor vehicle collision and could not have been caused by any other type of accidental trauma. Clayden had not been in a car wreck, according to testimony.

Oeberst said the injuries on the toddler's bottom probably had resulted from paddling over the last two days of his life, but at least 10 blows or kicks to the abdomen that proved fatal for Clayden had probably been delivered within a 24-hour period.

Other witnesses related incidents that occurred in the weeks before Clayden's death:

* Police officer Brandon Tomson said he responded to a call to Betzold and Brown's house in the 600 block of Prescott Avenue on Sept. 29 to investigate a report that an extension cord was running into the house from a nearby church. He determined that the pastor had given permission. He saw a small boy wearing only a diaper with a gauze wrapping on his foot and pizza sauce on his face. When he asked if the boy had an injury, Betzold told him she and her son were "playing mummy."

* Jordan Urbanek, Clayden's father, testified that he observed no bruises on Clayden on Sept. 30 at the start of his weekend visit with his son. He said that on Sept. 28, Betzold contacted him and said a knife fell on Clayden's foot and cut it, but the injury wasn't bad.

Two days later, when Jordan Urbanek expected his normal visit from Clayden, Betzold came to his house without the boy and asked for a change of plans. Jordan Urbanek didn't see his son that weekend.

"She lied to me and told me she was going to take him to her aunt," he said.

On Oct. 4, Jordan Urbanek said, Brown called and told him "something went bad" and he'd better get to the hospital.

"He said he loved my son just as much as if he was his own son," Urbanek said. "He said he didn't hit him."

Urbanek said Clayden was transferred to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, and he didn't see him until the paramedics pulled him out of the ambulance there.

"There were multiple bruises on his face, and once I seen that I looked at her (Betzold) and told her if he makes it through this, she would never see him again," Urbanek said.

He said that during previous weekend visits, Clayden had had injuries that did not require medical treatment, including a black eye, a bruised cheek and a burn on his chest. Betzold had told him the bruises were from falls and the burn occurred when a piece of hot meat fell on the toddler.

Urbanek said he had offered to care for Clayden any time, and he had offered to pay to hook up electricity at the house where Brown and Betzold lived with Clayden. Betzold had not taken him up on either offer.

* Elizabeth Leon, case manager for Wesley Medical Center, said she talked to Betzold while Clayden was still in "grave condition." She said Betzold told her she had been working 10 to 12 hours a day for 12 days straight, and Brown had cared for Clayden while she was away. She said she had been in a relationship with Brown for six months.

She acknowledged that Brown had a temper and that she had seen him paddle Clayden once. She told Leon police might find drugs if they searched their house.

Leon said Betzold told her Clayden had not been acting himself the day before and would just look at her and not respond. She tried to feed him tacos, which he threw up, so she put him to bed. She said Clayden had bruises on his face, but Brown had explained them.

Leon said Betzold told her she did not take her son to the hospital that day because she "did not want to be accused of abuse due to the bruises on his face."

She said Betzold told her Brown called her at work that morning at 8:45 a.m. and she arrived home at 9 a.m. She said Clayden would wake up and fall back asleep. Leon said she was given the impression that Betzold had called 911 right away.

* Amy Shisler, a co-worker of Betzold's, said she babysat for Clayden once on Sept. 16. She said that day the boy had a softball-sized bruise on his back, and Betzold told her he had fallen. A couple of weeks later, she said, Betzold told her Clayden had fallen again and his teeth were loose.

"She said she was scared because he looked bad," Shisler said.

Later, Shisler said, she overheard a cellphone conversation between Betzold and Brown, in which Brown was saying the boy's lip was bleeding again. Shisler said that, at her urging, Betzold asked Brown if he was beating Clayden. He replied, "Yes. Shut up, bitch."

She said Betzold seemed to undergo a personality change, became withdrawn and was no longer "bubbly and fun."

Shisler said she told Betzold "something bad is going to happen" if she didn't get Clayden away from Brown, and she encouraged her to find a babysitter. She offered to care for the boy herself on her days off and told Betzold she could live with her.

She said Betzold responded that "she didn't know and put her head down."

She said Betzold told her she was scared because Clayden "keeps falling down

http://www.salina.com/news/story/clayden-4-4-12

How do we get the message out to these girl-moms that they do not need to live with a man! It's not like they are even doing it for financial support - the mom's are the ones supporting these often violent, abusive drug users. And they leave their babies in the care of these guys! From experience - it is a lot easier to just not get involved with someone in the first place, who talks to you like this guy did, then to get out of a relationship once they have control over you.

Mother will stand trial in toddler's death

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 3:04 AM
By ERIN MATHEWS Salina Journal

Although no evidence was presented that Brittney N. Betzold personally caused any of the bruises that covered her 14-month-old son's body, the Salina woman was bound over for trial Monday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated endangerment of a child and child abuse because she allegedly did not act to protect him.

At the conclusion of a preliminary hearing, Saline County District Court Judge Rene Young ruled that there was probable cause to order Betzold, 20, to stand trial on those charges and an additional count of interference with law enforcement.

The final witnesses against co-defendant, Antonio M. "Tony" Brown, were to testify today. Authorities allege Brown, 28, who was Betzold's fiance, beat Clayden Lee Urbanek so severely he died Oct. 4, 2011.

Formal reading of the charges against Betzold at her arraignment was scheduled for 3 p.m. Aug. 20.

"We don't contend that Brittney Betzold struck the blows," said Saline County Attorney Ellen Mitchell at the conclusion of testimony Monday. "We only contend that her love for Antonio Brown prevented her from seeking the medical care her child needed."

Mitchell said anyone who saw the child, whose face and body were covered with a growing number of bruises in the last week of his life, would have known he was being abused.

Buttocks almost black

Betzold, who changed his diaper and gave him baths, would have seen the child's buttocks, which were "almost solid black," Mitchell said.

"It is sometimes hard to draw the line between abuse and discipline, but that is not the case here," she said.

Mitchell said Betzold made sure that she and Brown were the only people who saw Clayden in his final days. She didn't take him out in public, and she gave the toddler's father an excuse and canceled his regular visitation, Mitchell said.

Betzold is accused of interference with law enforcement because text messages show that even after Clayden stopped breathing and Betzold called 911, she gave police the wrong phone number for Brown and instructed him to use a different phone so that police would have a hard time finding him, Mitchell said.

Young heard testimony Monday from two final witnesses. Salina police investigator Melissa Short said she talked to Betzold at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, after Clayden was transferred there for emergency care.

New bruises on his body

Short said Betzold asked her if police found illegal drugs at the house in the 600 block of Prescott Avenue where she, Brown and Clayden had been living for about two to three weeks.

Short said Betzold told her she had begun to observe injuries on Clayden that got progressively worse after Brown assumed the child's care.

"She said she would come home from work, and there would be a new bruise. mainly on his face or head," Short said.

Betzold told Short that she asked Brown about the bruises, and he would say Clayden had fallen down. Betzold said Clayden had received a cut on his foot after stepping on a folding knife that was left open on the floor after Brown used it to scratch a lottery ticket, Short said.

Spanked him 'pretty bad'

Betzold said Brown did tell her he had spanked the child with a wooden paddle, and she described the bruises on his bottom as "pretty bad" and said she was scared when she saw them, Short said.

Short said Betzold told her she wished she had sought help for Clayden sooner -- like the day before his death when he was vomiting and listless and his stomach felt hard. She said she didn't because she was afraid she would lose custody and because she was afraid of Brown.

"Tony had a temper, and she was fearful of what he would do," Short said.

Short said Betzold said when she picked Clayden up after Brown called her home from work on the morning of Oct. 4 "his head flopped, and he had no muscle control."

"She freaked out, and started yelling, 'What's wrong?' " Short said. Betzold said Brown told her to calm down and said he and Clayden had been sitting on the couch eating popcorn when Brown got up to get something, and Clayden fell off the couch and hit his head, Short said.

His breathing stopped

"She said she thought about calling 911, but thought if it was just a concussion, he'd snap out of it," Short said. Betzold listened as the toddler's breathing became more irregular and shallow, and called 911 after it stopped, Short said.

Short said Betzold told her she felt like "a bad mom and she felt terrible" as she watched her son.

Short agreed with attorney Ron Evans, who represents Betzold, that she was "very upset" when they talked. She said she was crying and seemed confused at points and was worried about herself and Clayden. Evans asked if Betzold was afraid Brown would murder her, and Short agreed. She said Betzold told of one occasion when Brown had physically abused her.

Bonded him out of jail

Salina Police Department investigator Matthew Halton said Betzold told him during three hours of interviews on Oct. 18 that she had worked the last two weeks before Clayden's death with no days off, and Brown had supervised the boy.

She said the bruises on his face began appearing Sept. 25, and the bruises on his buttocks appeared between Sept. 26 and 27, Halton said.

She said Brown was her fiance and she loved him, Halton said. He said she acknowledged having paid a $1,000 bond to get Brown out of jail after he was arrested for allegedly possessing methamphetamine not long before she left Clayden in his care.

http://www.saljournal.com/news/story/betzold-bound-7-23-12