The father of a Lafayette infant who died last week after suffering multiple injuries -- including broken bones and brain hemorrhaging -- was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death.
Lafayette police have been investigating the death of 10-week-old Lyon Campos since he was rushed to the hospital Oct. 18 after his father, Joaquin Campos, said he fell down the stairs while holding the baby. Lyon died the night of Oct. 20, and officers said Campos was cooperating with the investigation until Thursday.
Lafayette police received information Thursday that Campos, 21, was talking about fleeing the area, said Cmdr. Gene McCausey, so officers went to his home at 1927 Lydia Drive to arrest him on a warrant out of Commerce City and talk to him more about their child abuse investigation.
"We explained to him that he was under arrest, and he flipped out," McCausey said. "He physically fought with officers and was taken into custody with minor injuries."
Campos was booked into the Boulder County Jail on suspicion of charges including resisting arrest and second-degree assault on a police officer, McCausey said. After investigators interviewed Campos at the jail, they recommended a separate set of charges in connection with his son's death, including knowing and reckless child abuse resulting in death.
The department also is recommending that charges of child abuse and domestic violence be filed in connection with an earlier incident that his wife reported, McCausey said.
Campos suffered bruises during Thursday's arrest, and no officers were hurt, McCausey said.
"He had been cooperating with us, and that's why we didn't arrest him earlier," he said.
Lafayette police first responded to a 911 call at the Lydia Drive home about 7:22 a.m. Oct. 18 after Campos said he fell down the stairs while holding the baby. Lyon was taken to Exempla Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, where he was treated and released.
Police were called back to the same address at 7:48 p.m. on a report that the infant was not breathing. He was taken back to Exempla, then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Aurora, where he later died.
McCausey said Lyon didn't have any significant injuries when he went to the hospital in the morning, and investigators suspect Campos did something to cause the fatal injuries to the child during the day.
"From the injuries to the baby, clearly something happened other than falling down the steps," McCausey said.
The infant had broken ribs, broken femurs in both legs and hemorrhaging in the brain when he was brought to the hospital the second time, according to McCausey.
"There were typical shaken-baby-type injuries," he said. "He had internal head injuries."
Campos was the one who called authorities both times, and the child's mother was not at home that day, McCausey said.
Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett said his office hasn't yet decided what charges to file against Campos based on the police recommendations.
"I think there is probable cause to take him into custody on the issues related to his child's death," Garnett said. "We will carefully review the evidence developed in the investigation and make a determination which charges to actually file Friday or early next week."
http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_16462634