AMYA GIBSON - 1 yo (2013)/ Charged: Andrew Hayes - Vancouver WA

Man babysitting 1-year-old girl charged for child's death

Posted: Aug 01, 2013 3:57 PM CST
Updated: Aug 29, 2013 4:02 PM CST
Andrew Hayes

VANCOUVER, WA (KPTV) - A Portland man who was babysitting a 1-year-old child is charged with manslaughter for the girl's death.

Vancouver police were called out to a home on Ash Street in Vancouver just before noon on May 29. The child's mother requested an ambulance, saying the baby had fallen off the bed.

Emergency crews said the child, Amya Gibson, was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. The girl was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

Investigators said , 24, of Portland, was watching the child while her mother, Emilee Smith, was at work. Hayes told investigators he put the baby on the bed to sleep and went into another room to watch TV.

According to court documents, Hayes said he heard a "thump" and then found the baby on the ground on her back with her legs vertical against the box springs.

Police said he called Smith in a panic and described the girl as limp and not moving.

A Vancouver police probable cause document states Hayes appeared "nervous" as he described the situation to investigators.

A medical examiner determined Amya had a subdural hematoma due to blunt force trauma. Investigators said the distance from the bed to the carpeted floor was 21 inches. The medical examiner reported the baby's injuries were not consistent with a fall from that height.

An arrest warrant was issued for Hayes on July 23 for the charge of manslaughter. Vancouver police said he was arrested two days later by U.S. Marshals in Multnomah County. He is currently in the Multnomah County Jail awaiting extradition to Clark County to face the charge.

http://www.kptv.com/story/23022609/man-babysitting-1-year-old-girl-charged-for-childs-death