Lamont Cherry beats 1-year-old-baby, she doesn't survive

[Unamused Cat]

WILKES-BARRE – An infant who police say was beaten to the point of suffering a fractured skull on Friday morning died on Sunday.

Lamont Cherry, 35, is accused of causing a severely fractured skull injury to 1-year-old Zalayia M. McCloe late Friday morning, according to Wilkes-Barre police.

The infant was treated at Geisinger Medical Center’s pediatric trauma center in Danville for non-accidental traumatic injury, formerly known as shaken-baby syndrome. She succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 10:20 a.m. Sunday, said Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll.

Carroll said an autopsy is scheduled for 9:30 this morning at Lehigh Valley Medical Center in Allentown.

Charges against Cherry might be upgraded depending on the results of the autopsy, Carroll said.

Cherry, originally from New Jersey, was arrested on Saturday and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person. He was arraigned before District Judge Paul Roberts in Kingston and sent to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility on $75,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for June 8 in Central Court.

Police allege Cherry was watching the infant at the girl’s Carlisle Street home when she was assaulted. Christa Smith, the child’s mother, found the injured girl at about 11 a.m., police said.

Officers were called to the home for a report of a child choking after a call was placed to Luzerne County 911, according to the affidavit. Officials from Luzerne County Children and Youth were later called. The child was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township and later transported by Life Flight to Danville.

Source (http://www.timesleader.com/news/Baby_injured_in_alleged_beating_dies_06-01-2009.html)

[AussieMum]

Oh Gosh, the poor little girl!!!

Sweet darling, play happily with the angels.

[Kalehue]

Officers were called to the home for a report of a child choking

What's with the "child choking" excuse? It's as bad as the killer bath tub. Do they honestly think that no one will notice the fractured skull?

RIP Zalayia.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

...non-accidental traumatic injury, formerly known as shaken-baby syndrome...
I like that they have the "non-accidental" part clear.

[coffee achiever]

Apparently her autopsy was inconclusive and they haven't been able to charge him with homicide. Yet.

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-wb-autopsy-inconclusive-toddler-death,0,3478516.story (with video)

Investigators said they are still considering whether to charge a man from Wilkes-Barre with homicide after the child he was watching suddenly died.

...

When her mother arrived home she told police she found the baby red with "foam" coming from her mouth.

Zalayia McCloe was taken to Geisinger Medical Center near Danville. She died from her injuries this weekend.

...

An autopsy was done by a forensic pathologist Monday. He told police he needs more test results to decide the cause and manner of the girl's death.

That is expected to take four to six weeks.

[silvahalo68]

Lamont Cherry (http://www.citizensvoice.com/articles/2009/06/01/news/doc4a2433f4204c9279758936.txt)

http://images.townnews.com/citizensvoice.com/content/articles/2009/06/01/news/doc4a2433f4204c9279758936.jpg

Police say Cherry was watching his girlfriend's daughter, one-year-old Zalayia McCloe Friday morning. When the baby's mother, Christa Smith, returned home, police reports show the baby was foaming from the mouth and not breathing well. The mother called 9-1-1. The baby was eventually taken to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where she later died. Doctors there called the baby's injuries "non-accidental" and "traumatic."
[...]
Doctors say the baby suffered brain injuries so severe that neurosurgeons would not attempt an operation. Doctors emphasized her injuries were not an accident.

Cherry has been charged with assaulting the child. According to arrest papers, he denies hurting the girl.Source (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31031284/)

He denies hurting baby girl. FUCK you and the stick that should be shoved up your ass for lying you piece of shit!

We are talking no accident. This poor child was injured beyond help by surgery. People who do this shit should rot in prison....rot, after they are beat mercilessly....better yet, I'll get a rope!


Baby Zalayia....so sorry sweet one.
http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/l_69518725029e44158e22f1b4f53764f3.jpg

[Tazzzz]

Christa Smith ( Bio-mom) Myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/christads





Zalayia M. McCloe
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/16/l_69518725029e44158e22f1b4f53764f3.jpg

http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/52/l_6543a751c905439ca9fac79d91df7c98.jpg

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/19/l_fe2e1ffe793240aab360bd38e087ae7e.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/11/l_ffa93d229de34f7ba3677b71376cdae7.jpg

[ineedanap]

brain injuries so severe that neurosurgeons would not attempt an operation

This makes me sick. That poor sweet baby had no chance.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Homicide charges were filed today against a man in connection with the death of a 1-year-old Wilkes-Barre girl.

Lamont Cherry, 35, of 196 Carlisle St., had been jailed since the incident on charges of aggravated assault.

On Thursday, prosecutors withdrew the previous charges and arraigned him on a charge of criminal homicide in connection with the death of Zalayia McCloe.
[...]

McCloe died from blunt force trauma and the manner of death was ruled homicide, Musto Carroll said.

"A 1-year-old child did not deserve to die like this," the district attorney said at a press conference after charges were filed today.

Cherry was arraigned by video conference from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.

Wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit, he took a deep breath and covered his face with his hands as Magisterial District Judge Andrew Barilla advised him that prosecutors filed homicide charges against him.

"Oh, my, goodness," Cherry said.
[...]

Musto Carroll said her office would seek the death penalty against Cherry, as it has against the two other men accused of killing children within the last two years in Luzerne County, Alan Leitzel and Alexander Garcia.
[...]http://www.citizensvoice.com/1.225341

[smallwonder4]

Wasn't that young cat murderer named "Cherry" too? At least they're trying to seek the max for his crime... may that baby rest in peace.

[silvahalo68]

Musto Carroll said her office would seek the death penalty against Cherry...I will do a fuckn' happy dance and toast to his death if justice is served. What a monster.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Preliminary hearing was held: Sparkul Lott testified on Tuesday that she believed 1-year-old Zalayia McCloe was sleeping on Lamont Cherry’s shoulder in a Wilkes-Barre house on May 29.

Minutes later, Lott said, Zalayia was not breathing and turning a different color.

Zalayia was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where she died.

Investigators allege Cherry struck the child hard enough to fracture her skull in two places.
[...]

Lott testified she arrived at her cousin’s Carlisle Street house to help Zalayia’s mother, Christa Smith, pick up job applications. She said she fed the child breakfast, and the toddler was doing fine when they left the home.

When they returned, Lott said, “it looked like (Zalayia) was sleeping on (Cherry’s) shoulders.”

She testified Cherry carried Zalayia upstairs and called Smith. Smith quickly called Lott, who found the child not breathing.

“(Zalayia) was changing colors and she was foaming at the mouth,” Lott testified. “I grabbed the child and walked downstairs where I gave her mouth-to-mouth, and she started breathing.” Lott said she and Smith at first believed Zalayia was choking.
[...]

Forensic pathologist Dr. Sam Land testified an autopsy determined Zalayia died from blunt force trauma to the head. He said there were numerous injuries to the toddler’s head, including two fractures on the skull and the buttocks.

He added that “significant force” caused the head injuries.
[...]

Cherry remains jailed at the county prison without bail.http://www.timesleader.com/news/Charge_in_baby_rsquo_s_death_forwarded_10-21-2009.html

He was calmly holding an injured child?