An Arizona man has been arrested for murder after an autopsy discovered that a baby girl had passed away due to multiple skull fractures.
Bryan Herrera Ruiz was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly committing murder in Coolidge last year.
On August 4th, 2023, the Coolidge police department received a call about an unresponsive infant at a residence. When emergency personnel arrived, they tried to revive the baby but unfortunately, their efforts were unsuccessful. The child was immediately transported to the hospital but ultimately succumbed to her condition.
While the infant was being transported to the hospital, a police officer observed a swelling developing on the left side of her head. Despite this, the parents maintained that the baby had not suffered a recent fall. Upon arriving at the hospital, law enforcement officers interviewed the child’s parents, Bryan Herrera Ruiz and his wife. The couple explained that the mother had left their residence around 3 p.m. to pick up their other children, leaving Ruiz alone with the infant and their 3-year-old. Approximately an hour later, Ruiz contacted the mother to inform her that the baby was not breathing and instructed her to dial 911.
According to court documents, a postmortem examination was conducted on the infant female, revealing four skull fractures inflicted by “blunt force trauma.” The doctors also discovered hemorrhages caused by the injuries. The infant’s death was deemed a homicide resulting from head trauma.
Following up with the girl’s parents, who had relocated to Nevada, officials were able to speak with them on Tuesday. Both the mother and Ruiz agreed to meet with detectives. The mother affirmed that the girl was eating and sleeping normally on the day of her passing. She also informed authorities that she was only away for 15-20 minutes before Ruiz contacted her to inform her about the baby.
During the interview, Ruiz stated that the baby was frequently agitated and he would bring her into the shower to soothe her. According to court documents, Ruiz denied accidentally dropping the baby and claimed he did not know how she sustained skull fractures. However, as the interview progressed, Ruiz altered his statement and admitted that he had not been truthful because he feared the baby’s mother would leave him.
According to court records, Ruiz informed the authorities that the infant started crying and as he attempted to pick her up, she slipped out of her blanket and landed head-first on the floor. He asserted that he tried to use his knee to catch her, but was unsuccessful. The police informed Ruiz that the fractures were a result of multiple incidents, but he maintained that the baby only fell once.
The individual was charged with a single count of second-degree murder and was granted a bond of $250,000.
