An 8-month-old child died Wednesday after being burned with a cigarette lighter and "violently shaken," according to Phoenix police.
Phoenix police and fire went to the couple's apartment, near 28th Street and Greenway Road, in response to a report of an infant not breathing.
Sabrina was brought to a nearby hospital but could not be saved. At the hospital, doctors found at least eight separate burn marks on Sabrina's face, body, and hands, according to court documents obtained by New Times.
According to police, Sabrina had been in Ponce's care when she died. Ponce is not her biological father.
Ponce eventually admitted to burning her with the open flame of a cigarette lighter.
"Later that night, at the [apartment], the child was crying and unable to sleep presumably from the pain of the inflicted burns," a police probable-cause statement says. "Ponce admitted to violently shaking the baby in an attempt to quiet her.
"This has been, and continues to be, a very in-depth investigation by Phoenix Police Homicide detectives," Holmes says in an e-mail. "There are many more questions to be answered. Further charges may be filed in the near future as a result of the on-going investigation."
Source: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2013/07/phoenix_8-month-old_dies_after.php
