Man Arrested In Shaking Death Of Infant
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Police have arrested a man accused of shaking his girlfriend's baby so severely the baby died, and it wasn't the first time he was accused of abuse.
Wednesday afternoon police say they found Kenneth Reeves after he broke into a church on Mt. Washington.
Reeves is accused of shaking his girlfriend's baby so severely it was in the ICU at Children's Hospital and then the family had no choice but to take her off life support.
Police say Sunday, the mother put her 5-and-a-half-month-old daughter Cami down for a nap and left the baby with her boyfriend, Kenneth Reeves.
The woman then went downstairs to make some food for her father and sister's children, who were all over at the house, when they heard the baby scream.
The mother ran upstairs and found the baby awake and crying. When asked what happened, police say Reeves told her he didn't know.
The baby eventually lost consciousness and stopped breathing. The mother then called 911 while she and her brother performed CPR.
The baby was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with abusive head trauma and swelling of the brain.
Doctors said the baby hadn't shown an activity since Sunday.
Kamero's uncle, James Vojtash, tonight told KDKA's Ralph Iannotti "I'm just grateful to police, first responders, and the staff at UPMC Childrens Hospital for saving her, so we could say goodbye, and she was able to give the greatest Christmas gift to other families."
The Pastor of the Mt. Washington church, where Reeves was found hiding today in the adjacent rectory, Pastor Michael Noonan, said he jacked Reeves up against the wall on the the third floor of the rectory after he found the rectory door lock broken.
Noonan is pastor at the church now called the Covenant Church on the Hill.
Noonan said "God took over," and he quickly calmed down believing Reeves needed help because he assumed he was homeless.
Noonan found out from a neighbor that Reeves was a wanted man, and that's when he called 911 got police.
Pastor Toni Noonan said Reeves grew up in the rectory where he was found, because his dad was once the church caretaker before the building was sold several years ago.
Police say Reeves has a previous conviction of child endangerment and aggravated assault.
Amanda Pavvlick says she dated Reeves a year ago. She says she left her three-year old son alone with Reeves and when she returned the boy had bruises on his face and buttocks.
Reeves was convicted and sentenced to six-years probation.
Pavvlick says at the time of his sentencing she told authorities Reeves would hurt another child, and that the system did not work.
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