Background: The neighborhood in Grimes, Iowa, where police responded on Aug. 7 (Google Maps). Inset: Dylan James Brown (Polk County Sheriff”s Office).
An Iowa man who was in jail for allegedly beating his 2-month-old baby daughter may face new charges after she died of her injuries.
Dylan James Brown, 23, was arrested on Aug. 7 after Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call at his home where a 2-month-old infant was reportedly not breathing. According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, the infant suffered a brain bleed and broken bones after Brown allegedly struck her more than 40 times “with as much force as he could.” After she was taken to the hospital for treatment, she suffered a stroke and was placed on life support.
On Tuesday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced that the baby was dead.
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In addition to the alleged assault on his daughter, Brown was also alleged to have strangled the baby’s mother until she passed out on the same night as the alleged assault on their baby. According to the criminal complaint related to those charges, the baby’s mother was asleep when she was allegedly awakened by the sound of Brown “hitting the baby.” She attempted to stop Brown, but he “turned on her” and allegedly struck her in the head and chased her out of the baby’s bedroom.
Brown then allegedly strangled her from behind in a “bear hug” position until she lost consciousness.
Brown was arrested on Aug. 7 on charges of child endangerment, domestic abuse assault impeding air or blood flow, and two counts of willful injury causing serious injury. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it is working with the Polk County Attorney’s Office to consider additional charges against Brown, now that the baby has died.
Brown, who has been in custody at the Polk County Jail since Aug. 7, remains behind bars on $250,000 bail.
