Baby Sitter Brandon Black Faces Charges In Death In 11 Month Olds Death

[Whisper]

Sitter Faces Charges In Death
Nov 12 2010

FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- A Fort Wayne man was charged Friday in the September death of an 11-month-old boy who suffered a skull fracture.
[...]
Brandon T. Black, 27, faces felony charges of neglect of a dependent and battery as a result of an investigation into Kweli Thomas’ death.
Black was being held at the Allen County Jail without bond on an unrelated charge.

The Gazette said that according to court documents, on Sept. 13, Black was caring for Kweli while Black’s girlfriend was at work. He was asleep upstairs while Kweli slept downstairs with his 3-year-old sister. Black told police he awoke to the sound of something falling down the stairs.
He said he saw the 3-year-old at the top of the stairs and Kweli unconscious at the bottom, according to court records.
Black told investigators he tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called the child’s grandmother. She told police that Black would not help her with CPR and kept going to the kitchen to smoke a cigarette.

Kweli was taken by ambulance to Parkview Hospital and died from blunt-force trauma to the head.
An autopsy showed Kweli had bruising on his stomach and chest area, as well as a skull fracture, which caused his death, court records said.
The death has not been ruled a homicide, although the coroner’s office is reviewing the case, spokeswoman Patt Kite said.

During the autopsy, a physician determined Kweli’s injuries were not caused by a fall down the stairs.
Kweli’s grandmother told police she doubted the baby could make it up the stairs because he was recovering from a broken arm and couldn’t crawl well.
Black has a lengthy criminal record. In 2003, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for six counts of armed robbery. He was released in 2008. Indiana inmates are given one day of credit for each day served with good behavior, potentially cutting their sentences in half.

Since 2007, Black has been arrested several times, including a case involving criminal recklessness and domestic battery charges that were dismissed.
He also faces two trials in early 2011, one for domestic battery and one for sexual misconduct with a minor.

http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/ne...107707513.html



Fort Wayne man charged in death of baby boy
Nov 13 2010

(FORT WAYNE, Ind.) -- A Fort Wayne man who was caring for a baby while his girlfriend was at work has been charged in the death of the 11-month-boy, who suffered a skull fracture.
The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reports that 27-year-old Brandon T. Black was charged Friday with neglect of a dependent and battery in the Sept. 13 death of Kweli Thomas.
Court documents say Black told police that he woke up to find the boy unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. But an autopsy showed that Kweli's injuries weren't caused by a fall.
[...]
Black was being held Saturday at the Allen County Jail, and officials didn't know whether he had a lawyer.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...ana&id=7787290

[proudmom]

why was an 11 month old baby recovering from a broken arm? There is more to that story i am sure. noone saw abuse when an 11 month old got a broken arm now a supposed fall down the stairs... pllleaasee

[Kindly One]

Unless, of course, when they said he was "sleeping downstairs" they left out "on the couch". We all know what couches are capable of.

Why, mamma, why, would you leave your babies with this man? There are plenty of truly reformed convicts out there, I know, but armed robbery is, to me, one of those big red flashing light crimes. Any fuckwit can steal, but taking a gun along implies that you're prepared to use it. And that implies you place a certain value on the lives of others, and on the supremacy of your own needs. And that makes you, more than likely, a total asshole and a BAD BABYSITTER.

[Whisper]

Sitter is charged in baby’s head-trauma death

FORT WAYNE – The September death of an 11-month-old boy who suffered a skull fracture has been ruled a homicide, officials from the Allen County Coroner’s Office said Monday.

Kweli Dupri Thomas, of Fort Wayne, died Sept. 13, after being injured in his southeast-side home. The baby suffered a blow to his head – which investigators said was not accidental.

His death was ruled the 24th homicide in Allen County this year.

An autopsy was performed on Kweli in September, but final results were not complete until last week, the coroner’s office said Monday, providing no additional information.

Meanwhile, the man police say is responsible for the infant’s death, Brandon T. Black, 27, faces felony charges of neglect of a dependent and battery.

Black was baby-sitting Kweli at the child’s home, in the 4300 block of Southwest Anthony Wayne Drive, when the the fatal injury occurred, according to records.

Attempts to reach Kweli’s parents were unsuccessful.
[...]
The child’s mother is being held without bail on a probation violation in connection with a 2007 felony conviction for forgery, according to [...]court and jail records.

Black, Dominique Thomas’ boyfriend, told investigators he tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation and called the child’s grandmother.

But the grandmother told police that Black would not help her with CPR and kept going to the kitchen to smoke a cigarette.

Kweli was taken by ambulance to Parkview Hospital and died from blunt-force trauma to the head. An autopsy showed Kweli had bruising on his stomach and chest area, as well as a skull fracture, which caused his death, court records said.

Black is being held without bond on unrelated criminal charges.
He faces two trials in early 2011, one for domestic battery and one for sexual misconduct with a minor.

http://www.journalgazette.net/articl...992/-1/local11

Brandon Black

[Hellsbells]

Guilt admitted in baby’s death

27-year-old Fort Wayne man admitted Monday in Allen Superior Court to neglecting a toddler in his charge last September, which resulted in the little boy’s death.

Brandon T. Black, of the 1400 block of High Street, pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent causing death.

Black was scheduled to stand trial today on that charge, as well as an additional charge of battery causing death.

On Sept. 13, 11-month old Kweli Thomas died of blunt-force trauma to the head.

He was in the care of Black, who was dating Kweli’s mother, according to court documents.

Black told police he heard something falling down the stairs, and tried to do CPR and called the toddler’s grandmother. But the grandmother told police Black wouldn’t help with the CPR and kept going into the kitchen to smoke a cigarette.

Black will be sentenced in June, and his sentence will be left to Allen Superior Court Judge John Surbeck.

http://www.journalgazette.net/articl...3/1039/LOCAL03

[Whisper]

Neglect in baby's death leads to 50-year sentence

11-month-old boy died in Brandon Black's care.

As the prosecution displayed photos of 11-month-old Kweli Dupri Thomas' small, bruised body, Brandon T. Black looked around the courtroom and up at the decorated ceiling, anywhere but the screen.

Black, 27, of the 1400 block of Hugh Street, was sentenced Friday by Allen Superior Court Judge John F. Surbeck to 50 years for the neglect of Thomas that caused the boy's death in September while in Black's care.

The photos of Thomas, along with testimony by Dr. Pramod Carpenter and Black's criminal history, weighed heavily on Surbeck's decision for the length of the sentence, he said during the hearing. The prosecution requested a 45-year sentence.

Black maintains that he did not put his hands on the child and a fall down the stairs caused the boy's injuries. However, Carpenter, who performed Thomas's autopsy, said the young boy had sustained extensive injuries caused by multiple blunt-force traumas. Thomas had bruising on his chest and abdomen consistent with knuckles or fingertips, Carpenter said. He also reported the boy had some internal bleeding and fractured ribs.

The blow that caused the boy's death was a skull fracture and bleeding of the brain caused by trauma so forceful it separated and moved the bones of the boy's skull. Carpenter said “considerable force” was required to cause this type of injury, such as an automobile accident or if someone were to “spike” the boy's head against a hard object.

Black was originally charged with neglect and battery, both Class A felonies. He pleaded guilty to neglect in May, and the battery charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Black's aunt testified on his behalf saying he was a good father to his own two children. She said he had a hard childhood, bouncing around in foster homes after his mother's murder when he was 6 years old.
[...]
“I've been in this child's life since he was 2 weeks old. I love my kids; I've loved every kid I've cared for,” he said. “If I could change what happened I would, but I can't.”

In the end, Surbeck said Black's “significant criminal history,” including a robbery conviction and a juvenile criminal record, and Carpenter's testimony that it was unlikely that the trauma to Thomas was caused by a fall down the stairs outweighed Black's rough childhood, education and degree attainment.

Surbeck sentenced Black to serve 40 of the 50 years in prison, 10 suspended and five served on probation. He'll get credit for 204 days in jail.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pb...NEWS/106040336