DC man pleads guilty to shaking death of girlfriend's baby
WASHINGTON - A D.C. man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in a Prince George's County court on Friday after pleading guilty to shaking and killing his girlfriend's 6-month-old baby girl while he was under the influence of synthetic marijuana.
On January 6, Kareem Bryant was looking after his girlfriend's baby took a shower. According to police, Bryant shook the baby, and the child stopped breathing. Officers were called to the home in the 3200 block of 75th Avenue in Landover and the baby was rushed to Prince George's Hospital Center and was later flown to Children's National Medical Center.
"My name is Kareem Bryant I'm calling for my girlfriend. Please! Oh my god. Give her mouth to mouth put her on the floor and giver her mouth to mouth," Bryant said frantically during his 911 call.
The infant remained in critical condition until she died Jan. 9. Police say an autopsy revealed the cause of death was blunt force injuries to the baby's head and chest. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
"We have seen far too many instances of children in our community who have died at the hands of individuals who were responsible for their care and it will not be tolerated. We will prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law," said Prince George's County State's Attorney Angela Alsobrooks in a statement released to the press. Alsobrooks said Bryant was under the influence of a synthetic drug known as K2.
Alsobrooks said the baby's mother, spoke at the sentencing and her message was almost as shocking as the horrific crime. The mother wanted to thank Bryant, she wanted to remind him of her love for him and wanted to tell him thank you for helping her care for her children.
In Prince George's county a dozen children under the age of three have died by domestic violence over the past two years, in most of those cases at the hands of the mother's boyfriend. It has prompted Prince George's county to launch a new initiative to help low income mom's find safe child care.