A tragic case in Rockford has led to serious charges after the death of a 7-month-old baby. Authorities say the investigation revealed severe injuries and conflicting statements from the child’s father.
What Happened in the Case
27-year-old Jaden Hearns has been charged with murder, aggravated domestic battery, and aggravated battery against a child.
Police responded to a call about an unresponsive infant at his home. The baby was taken to the hospital but sadly died the same day.
Medical Findings
Doctors found that the child had suffered multiple serious injuries, including:
- Two skull fractures
- Several broken ribs
- A fractured leg
Authorities later confirmed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Conflicting Statements
Investigators said Hearns was alone with the baby at the time. However, his explanation of events reportedly changed during questioning.
Initially, he told police he did not know what happened. Later, he claimed he was playing video games when he heard the baby crying but could not clearly explain the timeline.
Previous Legal Issues
Court records show that Hearns was already on pretrial release in a separate domestic battery case. In that case, he was accused of assaulting the child’s mother while she was pregnant…