Deceased child’s mother, father charged in death; 7-month-old also reportedly abused, officers say
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Two parents face murder and child abuse charges nearly three years after the death of their 4-month-old son.
Police arrested Aleeyah Barnes, 27, and Younis Wiley, 25, on Monday. Their son died at an apartment on Boulder Highway near Flamingo Road in November 2019.
At the hospital, doctors noted no external injuries or bruises, documents obtained Wednesday said. An autopsy later found rib fractures that were healing. The child also had “suffered a traumatic blunt force blow to the back of the head,” police said.
The child’s injuries are redacted in the report but the medical examiner found “injuries [that] would be indicative of chronic and acute child abuse.”
Younis said he had left the child and several other children in the apartment alone the day of the child’s death.
A second child, a 7-month-old who is a half-brother of the deceased child, was also found with “healed rib fractures,” police said.
Police arrested the pair on Monday while on a call for a disturbance. Officers then noted the pair had warrants for their arrests.
Because Barnes and Wiley are charged with murder, neither were immediately eligible for bail. Wiley faces an additional charge of child abuse due to the second child’s injuries.
Both Barnes and Wiley denied hurting the children when speaking to police, documents said.