Suspect Faces Child Abuse Death Charge

More details are emerging regarding a 23-year-old Kimball man who faces class 1B felony charges after an infant died at Denver Children’s Hospital.

Alexander J. Romero, the father, was initially arrested April 2 on lesser charges, but additional charges were dependant on the fate of the victim.

On March 31, at approximately 5:50 p.m., officer Mike Winget of the Kimball Police Department responded to the Kimball Health Services emergency room in response to an ambulance call regarding a 7-month-old unresponsive infant girl.

According to the arrest affidavit, during the initial interview Officer Winget spoke with Romero, who was watching the infant at the time of the incident.

Romero first told police the child had waken from a nap. He stated that he sat her on the couch while he was gathering some of her things, and she rolled off the couch.

He also told police she was crying but it wasn’t a normal cry. He then said her body went limp and that she had a stare like “nothing was there”. He then stated he called the baby’s mother to inform her of what had happened.

Officer Winget interviewed the child’s mother at KHS. She had told police during her relationship with Romero that he had a short temper.

According to the affidavit, Winget received the KHS waiver for the medical records on the infant. Medical records revealed bruising on both the left and right temples near the midline of the skull.

Winget asked the doctor if a fall could cause these injuries. The doctor replied “absolutely not.” The injuries were consistent with being intentionally traumatic rather than accidentally traumatic.

According to the affidavit, Winget had received instruction from KPD Chief Andy Bremer to call the Nebraska State Patrol for assistance. At this point, Romero was detained at the Kimball Police Department until Lt. Brian Eads of the NPS arrived to interview Romero.

According to Winget, Bremer stated that Romero had came in to the police department to admit to what really happened.

Bremer stated that Romero told him he was playfully running around the house with the baby in his arms when he tripped in his bedroom, falling onto the bed, then onto the floor.

According to the affidavit, Bremer said Romero had continued on to say he sat the baby up on the couch to find his phone and when he came back she was laying on her back on the fllor in front of the couch.

According to the affidavit, on April 2, Winget received a phone call that would lead him to believe Romero was headed down to Colorado.

There were additional injuries on the infant’s liver and spleen that were observed at Children’s Hospital when she was being treated.

She was placed on life support with no brain function. The infant was then taken off life support on April 3 and later passed away, resulting in an update in charges to a class 1B felony -- child abuse-resulting in death -- which carries a minimum sentence of 25 years with a maximum sentence of life in prison. Romero is being held on a $100,000 bond.

Romero is scheduled to make his next court appearance April 24 in Kimball County Court, with Doug Warner of the Attorney General’s Office appointed as the special deputy county attorney for this case.