Lebanon [PA] dad charged with homicide in death of baby

 

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/05/dad_charged_with_homicide_in_d.html

Lebanon dad charged with homicide in death of baby

by AL WINN, For The Patriot-News

Wednesday May 28, 2008, 2:03 PM

Submitted photoKevin Mitchell

LEBANON — During the not quite seven months of Zariyah Mitchell's life, she was scalded, bitten, choked, and had bruises and cuts all over her body. She died Friday.

"She spent a very tortured six months," Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold said at a news conference this afternoon.

On Friday night, Zariyah's father, Kevin Mitchell, was arrested on assault charges. This morning, he was charged with homicide. Arnold said if the law allows it, he will seek the death penalty. "Whatever the maximum penalty the law allows us to seek, we will ask for," Arnold said.

Arnold said there are still unanswered questions about how Zariyah died and why nobody reported abuse or neglect. The investigation is ongoing and no decision has been made whether Zariyah's mother, Miriam Nebot, will be charged.

But he said he decided to file murder charges after the pathologist who did the autopsy said Zariyah's death was definitely a homicide.

Mitchell and Nebot brought Zariyah to Good Samaritan Hospital on Friday. Arnold said he doesn't know if Zariyah was already dead when she arrived at the hospital or whether she died in the hospital.

Arnold said Friday was the first time Zariyah's condition was reported to child welfare or law enforcement authorities. He wouldn't comment on whether Zariyah had ever been seen by medical personnel before her death.

According to court documents, Mitchell told police he once decided not to take Zariyah to a doctor because friends told him the child could be taken from him if he did.

"We're going to look at every possible scenario as to how the situation got to this point," Arnold said.

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