CHEROKEE, Iowa (KCAU) — A Cherokee man has been charged with the alleged murder of his infant child earlier this year.
According to court documents, a four-month-old infant was found unresponsive on May 8 while in the care of Luis Contreras-Deciga, 24, infant’s father. The infant was flown to an Omaha, Neb. hospital.
The hospital told authorities that the “infant received abusive trauma due to the nature of his injuries,” documents state. Medical staff said that imaging showed severe hemorrhaging, no brain function, an ear bruise, and a rib fracture, with them concluding that it happened during a “narrow time frame.”
After four days, the infant was declared brain dead and deceased. An autopsy ruled the infant’s death to be a homicide due to blunt force head injuries.
Authorities interviewed Contreras-Deciga, who allegedly said the infant became unresponsive when he then “violently shook the infant while asking the infant what he needed.” He then called the mother to call for emergency assistance.
Authorities examined Contreras-Deciga’s phone and found messages between him and another person who told Contreras-Deciga to deny any aggressive behavior and to “be consistent with his version of events,” documents say.
Contreras-Deciga is charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into the Cherokee County Jail on Monday with a $500,000 bond. His next court appearance is set for Dec. 20.
