Cheyenne man charged with aggravated child abuse after infant death

March 09--CHEYENNE -- The Laramie County District Attorney's office has charged a Cheyenne man with aggravated child abuse nearly a year after a local baby's death.

Charging documents filed last week against 26-year-old Tyler L. Miller say he intentionally or recklessly caused serious bodily injury to a 3-month-old infant while caring for him between April 2 and April 3 of last year.

Aggravated child abuse is punishable by up to 25 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine.

The baby, born Dec. 5, 2015, died April 10, 2016, in Denver at nearly 4 months old.

His obituary listed Miller as one of his parents.

According to formal charging documents, a doctor who treated the baby at Children's Hospital Colorado told police her medical opinion was that the baby's injuries were the result of child abuse.

After being transferred to the children's hospital in Aurora, Colorado, the baby was found to have retinal hemorrhages (bleeding in his eyes) that were "too numerous to count" and "consistent with non-accidental trauma," charging documents say.

Police reviewed medical records that said the baby's MRI showed he suffered extensive head injury consistent with abusive head trauma.

The records police reviewed also said the baby's early exams, seizures and MRI suggested he would have significant neurological disability, and noted that an hour-long cardiac arrest he experienced April 9 made it very likely he would have no meaningful recovery.

"Lack of brainstem reflexes is suggestive of a devastating neurological injury," the records said.

Miller was arrested Friday, a day after the charge was filed, and had his initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court on Tuesday. His preliminary hearing is set for later this month.

A $10,000 cash bond set in the case had not been posted as of Wednesday afternoon.

According to charging documents:

Cheyenne Police responded to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center on April 3 of last year to investigate a report of possible child abuse.

Miller and the baby's mother brought him to the hospital around 9:31 a.m. that day, and both told Emergency Department personnel that the baby had been wheezing, coughing and acting fussy.

The baby was found to have a brain bleed and displayed seizure-like activity. He was immediately transported to Children's Hospital Colorado for treatment.

Through interviews, police learned that the baby was cared for at his mother's niece's house on April 2 from approximately 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and appeared to be acting normal except for displaying respiratory sickness.

The baby's mother told police she took him home, changed him and put him down for bed at around 11:30 p.m.

Police learned that Miller was acting "crabby" when he returned from work just after 1 a.m.

Miller told police he finally fell asleep around 3 a.m., but the baby started fussing, so he got up to care for him.

He said he positioned a blanket to prop up the baby's bottle within his bassinet, but could hear that he was not eating, so he got up and gave him a pacifier. The baby fell asleep, and Miller went back to bed, he said.

Miller told police he woke up around 5 a.m. and saw the baby's mother holding him. She recommended they take him to the doctor.

The baby's mother told police the child woke up around 5 a.m. breathing rapidly and having rapid stomach movements. She also said he had a cough that sounded like a high-pitched dog bark.

She decided to take him to the hospital around 8:30 a.m., she said.

Police reviewed medical records that showed the baby had three seizures at the hospital lasting 30 seconds and one that lasted 45 seconds.

The initial diagnosis was of a brain bleed with concern for non-accidental trauma.

The baby also had a healing but partially torn upper lip, which his doctor in Colorado told police is often seen when frustrated parents attempt to force-feed a child a bottle or force a pacifier into his or her mouth.

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