Background: The home in Rockford, Ill., where a baby was fatally injured on April 26 (WIFR). Inset: Jaden Hearns (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office).
An Illinois man was ordered to remain in jail after he was arrested in connection with the death of his infant.
Jaden Hearns, 27, was charged with murder, aggravated domestic battery, and aggravated battery against a child after his 7-month-old baby died on Sunday. According to court documents obtained by local CBS affiliate WIFR, police responded to a call about an unresponsive baby made from Hearns' home in Rockford, Illinois, on Sunday morning. The baby was taken to the hospital and died the same day.
Police said Hearns was alone with the baby that morning, but his story about what happened kept changing.
According to the court documents, the baby was diagnosed with two skull fractures on different parts of his skull as well as multiple rib fractures and a broken femur. When police asked Hearns about what happened when he found his son, he initially told them that he had no idea what happened to his baby.
Police said that after further questioning, Hearns told them that he was playing video games at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday when he heard the baby crying. The baby had been asleep before that time. Hearns reportedly told police that he had a bad memory and a bad sense of time frames.
Local ABC affiliate WTVO reported that Hearns was on pretrial release in connection with a domestic battery case in which he allegedly strangled the baby's mother while she was pregnant. He was ordered in November 2025 not to have any contact with her while he was out of custody. According to court documents, the woman and Hearns did not live together, but she often stayed overnight at his home. She was not at home when Hearns was watching their son.
According to the court documents, surveillance cameras caught Hearns carrying a firearm around the house. Police said they found a rifle and ammunition on the property.
Authorities said the baby died of blunt force trauma.
During a hearing on Tuesday, a judge said Hearns violated his previous release conditions in connection with the domestic battery case and ordered him to remain in the Winnebago County Jail. His next court date is scheduled for May 27.