KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An Independence man is facing child abuse charges for allegedly beating a one-year-old because the victim wouldn't stop crying.
Carlos E. Alaniz, 19, is charged with abuse or neglect of a child.
According to court records, Alaniz told investigators he beat his girlfriend's child because the baby wouldn't stop crying. He also said he resented the victim for looking like his or her biological father.
The abuse was reported by staff at Children's Mercy Hospital, where the victim was brought in with life-threatening injuries, including a lacerated liver and broken ribs. Investigators were told that the child was brain dead and on a ventilator.
Alaniz is the victim's mother's boyfriend. The abuse allegedly occurred in an Independence apartment Alaniz shared with his girlfriend and her children.
Alaniz and the victim's mother initially told the investigators that the child's injuries were caused by a sibling. However, Alaniz later admitted to punching the child repeatedly and hiding the abuse from the mother.
He's being held on a $100,000 bond.
