GLENDALE, Ariz. — A Valley woman and her boyfriend have been taken into custody after her 7-month-old baby passed away from an apparent head injury, court records show.
The Glendale Police Department was dispatched to a local hospital on March 31 after an infant had been brought to the facility and later died. The baby's head showed signs of swelling and an autopsy determined the child sustained severe head trauma, records show.
Tina Mejia, the child's mother, told police she woke up on March 30 to her baby crying on the floor and noticed swelling on the side of the child's head. The following day, March 31, Mejia alleged she stayed home all day with the baby until she noticed the swelling had gotten worse and took the baby to the hospital.
Investigators reported finding a fast food receipt in Mejia's possession indicating she had left her home on March 31. The mother then allegedly changed her story.
Jacob Gano, the mother's boyfriend, told police he got a call from Mejia on March 31 alerting him that the baby was unresponsive.
A review of phone data allegedly showed that Gano, 23, and Mejia, 26, had not exchanged any calls on March 31, court records show.
The inconsistent statements given by the couple ultimately led to police taking both Gano and Mejia into custody. The suspects are accused of waiting nearly 24 hours before seeking medical help for the baby after noticing the child was in severe distress.
They were both booked into jail.
