Palm Bay police have charged the father of a 2-year-old boy with attempted murder after he allegedly strangled the toddler nearly to death over a dirty diaper.
Miguel Alejandro Torres-Delarosa, 23, was arrested late Saturday and is being held at the Brevard County Jail Complex without bond, police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said.
He faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated child abuse.
Torres-Delarosa has a 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. On Friday, the children's mother dropped off the two toddlers to stay with Torres-Delarosa while she went to work, reports show.
Martinez said Torres-Delarosa became angry with his son because he soiled his diaper shortly after being changed. Detectives believe Torres-Delarosa tied a belt around the boy’s throat and began to strangle him.
“This is more than a severe case of child abuse,” Palm Bay Police Detective Jasmine Campbell said. “The doctors are telling us if he had gone any longer, this child would have been dead.”
Torres-Delarosa returned the children to their mother later that evening — and
she immediately noticed the boy’s eyes were swollen and he had marks around his neck, Martinez said.
Friday night, the mother took the child to a nurse friend, then the emergency room. Doctors confirmed the boy had been choked or strangled, and detectives with the Palm Bay police special victims unit began an investigation, Martinez said.
Upon questioning, Torres-Delarosa reportedly told the mother he didn’t know how the boy was injured.
Doctors will continue to monitor and test the boy for potential internal injuries, Martinez said.
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