Cheyenne Elmore-Sitz and Javontae Goldsby (Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office)
The parents of a 5-month-old boy in Indiana have been arrested after they allegedly beat and shook the child repeatedly, causing “catastrophic” head injuries from which the infant is not expected to recover. Cheyenne Elmore-Sitz and Javontae Goldsby were taken into custody and identically charged with one count of neglect of a defendant resulting in catastrophic injury and one count of aggravated battery, both felonies, authorities announced.
According to a press release from the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, Elmore-Sitz, 23, and Goldsby, 31, at about 9:30 p.m. on July 26 called 911 and reported finding their son not breathing in his crib at an apartment complex located in Evansville. Per the release, Golby began CPR while VCSO deputies and Emergency Medical Services were en route to the address.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders took over life-saving measures and were able to restore a pulse to the child and transported him to St. Vincent Hospital where he was placed on a ventilator. After exhaustive efforts from the medical staff, the infant was stabilized and, due to the severity of his injuries, transported to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis for more specialized care, officials said.
“A medical examination revealed the infant had sustained a skull fracture, subdural hematomas, retinal hemorrhages, and subarachnoid bleeding. The injuries were described as consistent with violent shaking and/or an impact. The infant has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and is not likely to survive,” the release states. “The injuries were found to be consistent with abusive head trauma and were described by doctors as inflicted injuries. In addition to describing the injuries as inflicted, medical personnel advised that the infant’s life-threatening condition would have been obvious around the time the infant was reportedly put to bed.”
As of Monday afternoon, the little boy was on life support in the hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. However, the pediatric doctors told the parents and investigators that the infant is “not likely to survive,” per the release.
In conjunction with the state Department of Child Services, detectives began an investigation into the circumstances of the child’s death, beginning with the parents. Investigators said that “neither parent could offer any explanation, accidental or otherwise, for the infant’s injuries.”
“Both parents told investigators that the infant had not been in the care of anyone else during the time period in which the injuries occurred,” the release states. “Both denied inflicting the injuries or having any knowledge or belief that the other had hurt the infant. Conflicting stories were given by each regarding which parent had put the infant to bed prior to the discovery that the infant was not breathing.”
Based on the information gleaned from the interviews with Elmore-Sitz and Goldsby, as well as other physical evidence, both parents were taken into custody and charged in connection with their child’s injuries. The couple also has two other children, both of whom were placed in the protection of the Department of Child Services, authorities said.
They are currently being held in the Vanderburgh County Jail without bond.
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