3 mo Kamron Kelly dead, shaken baby syn./Mom's Boyfriend Suspect & prior convict

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6941810.html
Bruised baby left with mom's boyfriend dies
Suspect was imprisoned in 2006 in abuse of his own child
Friday, April 2, 2010

A man suspected of causing Friday's death of his girlfriend's 3-month-old son was sent to prison in 2006 after he pleaded guilty to injuring his own infant child, authorities said.

Nathaniel Flowers, 32, was watching Kamron Deshawn Kelly at his home in the 7200 block of Hallshire on Wednesday before the child was rushed to LBJ Hospital.

Doctors noticed the child had injuries consistent with so-called shaken baby syndrome — including a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain. They also found bruises around Kamron's mouth, police said. He was pronounced dead Friday.

Houston police questioned Kamron's mother and Flowers. Flowers said he “got a little too rough” with the child because he was crying, police said.

CPS officials said they are investigating the circumstances that led to Kamron's death, said spokeswoman Estella Olguin.

In 2005, CPS also initiated an inquiry after investigators found that Flowers' own son, then less than 2 months old, had suffered several injuries, including leg and rib fractures. Parental rights were terminated, and the child is now in the process of being adopted, Olguin said.

Flowers pleaded guilty to injury to a child in September 2006 and received a 6-year prison sentence, according to Harris County records.

Charges are expected to be increased against Flowers, who had not yet been taken into custody, officials said Friday.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100402-shaken-baby-syndrome-infant-dies
Shaken Baby Syndrome Infant Dies
April 2, 2010

HOUSTON - A three-month-old boy, who was hospitalized for injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, has died, a spokesperson for Texas Children's Hospital has confirmed.

Houston police arrived Wednesday evening to a home in the 7200 block of Hallshire Drive and found Kamron Deshawn Kelly with bruises near his mouth.

Kelly was originally taken by firefighters to LBJ General Hospital in critical condition. The firefighters performed CPR on the baby until he arrived at the hospital.

Once doctors determined that the baby's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, they contacted police.

Officers questioned Kelly's mother and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Nathaniel Jerome Flowers, at the hospital.

Police say that Flowers admitted to treating the baby in a rough manner because he was crying.

The baby was transferred to Texas Children's Hospital in an attempt to stabilize him, but he died on Friday.

Flowers has been charged with injury to a child.

Houston police arrived Wednesday evening to a home in the 7200 block of Hallshire Drive and found Kamron Deshawn Kelly with bruises near his mouth.

Kelly was originally taken by firefighters to LBJ General Hospital in critical condition. The firefighters performed CPR on the baby until he arrived at the hospital.

Once doctors determined that the baby's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome, they contacted police.

Officers questioned Kelly's mother and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Nathaniel Jerome Flowers, at the hospital.

Police say that Flowers admitted to treating the baby in a rough manner because he was crying.

The baby was transferred to Texas Children's Hospital in an attempt to stabilize him, but he died on Friday.

Flowers has been charged with injury to a child.

Statistics indicate that shaken baby syndrome is the leading cause of physical abuse younger than one year old.

On March 27, the Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The act's purpose is to enhance federal efforts focused on public awareness and education about the dangers associated with shaking a baby.

[MuffyBee]

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7364345
Video Avail)
Man accused of injuring child
April 2, 2010

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A local man is charged in the death of a baby, and as we've learned that man has hurt a child before. We learned a lot about the Nathaniel Flowers, 32, Friday from court records. First off, he's not in custody. Secondly, the baby's 19-year-old mother left him with Flowers, but according to CPS, she didn't know about his past, one that includes a previous child abuse conviction and termination of his parental rights.

On Good Friday, complete with a good old fashioned fish fry, Christopher Robinson and his friends are preparing to celebrate new life, even as they mourn their littlest neighbor's death.

"All I can say is I did what I could for him," said Robinson.

Robinson got emotional when we told him three-month-old Kamron Kelly died after two days in critical condition at Texas Children's Hospital. Wednesday evening, Robinson was the one who called 911 after Flowers ran over from apartment 235 at the complex in the 7200 block of Hallshire.

"He said, 'Will you go over there and see what's wrong with the baby. Something's wrong with the baby,'" Robinson said.

Robinson went to the apartment and started CPR. The infant was non-responsive. He says Flowers was agitated.

"He was just trying to run out the door while I kept trying," said Robinson. "I said, 'Man, come on back here and help me breathe for the baby,' and he just kept trying to run out the door."

The baby was rushed to LBJ Hospital and then on to Texas Children's. According to CPS, he had skull fractures and bruises around his mouth, injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome. Houston police say Flowers told them he, "got a little too rough with the infant because he was crying."

It isn't the first time.

According to court documents, Flowers has a previous conviction of injury to a child. It was back in 2005. Then, the victim was his own two-month-old son. He squeezed him, the probable cause affidavit says, because he would not stop crying.

That little boy survived. Little Kamron didn't.

"Whatever happens to this guy, I hope they give him the best," said neighbor Patrick Baker. "Get him because it's sad. Anybody who hurts a kid is sad."

Flowers spent three years in prison for hurting his son. He lost his parental rights and the boy, who's now five years old is in the process of being adopted. It's a much different scenario than what we're talking about now.

Flowers is not in custody. He's charged with injury to a child, but because the child died Friday, that charge could be upgraded to capital murder.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-shakenbaby-story,0,1170619.story
(video at above link)
Man Accused of Shaking Baby
A Houston man is accused of shaking his girlfriend's child. The child died at the hospital.
April 3, 2010
Houston Police believe 3-month old Kamron Kelly was shaken to death at an apartment complex on the 7200 block of Hallshire.

The baby died Friday at Texas Children's Hospital after two days in critical condition.

"It tore me up inside yesterday, really it did," said Christopher Robinson. "It tore me up when they told me he had passed away because I tried to do all I could for the little guy."

Robinson is the neighbor who performed CPR on Wednesday, after Nathaniel Flowers ran downstairs saying something was wrong with his girlfriend's baby.

"The whole time I'm doing the chest compressions I was saying look little guy you're going to make, you're going to make it, you all right," Robinson said.

Investigators eventually charged Flowers with injury to a child.

Court records show he has a history of child abuse charges.

In fact, Robinson says Flowers kept trying to leave during CPR.

"He kept trying to walk out, man come on back in the house," said Robinson. "Help me, help me. Where are you going? You've got nowhere to go. We're trying to save this baby right now."

Robinson says he can't believe anyone would try to walk away, let alone shake a baby.

"It's hard to say, I just don't know what to say. I'm speechless when it comes to that. He had a case for it before. So, you can't put nothing past him."

Investigators say Flowers is not in custody.

Neighbors just hope justice is served.

"He deserves to get everything the judge give him," Robinson said. "He deserves it. He done it. He deserves to do his time."

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6944596.html
Charges filed in Houston shaken baby case
Monday, April 5, 2010
Authorities said Nathaniel Flowers was watching his girlfriend's son at home in the 7200 block of Hallshire on Wednesday before the child was rushed to the hospital.

A Houston man who was sentenced to prison four years ago for injuring his own child has been charged with causing the death of his girlfriend's infant son after the child died last week.

Nathaniel Flowers, 32, is charged with injury to a child causing seriously bodily injury in the death of the 3-month-old Kamron Deshawn Kelly, police said.

If convicted, Flowers faces from 5 years to life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Officials said the boy's mother left the child with Flowers while she visited a friend. She later received a phone call and was told to return to the home because something was wrong with the child.

When he was initially questioned by police, Flowers said he “got a little too rough“ with the child because he was crying, authorities said.

Authorities said Flowers, who was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty in 2006 to injuring his own child, was watching his girlfriend's son at home in the 7200 block of Hallshire on Wednesday before the child was rushed to the hospital.

Doctors noticed the boy had injuries consistent with so-called shaken-baby syndrome, including a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain. They also found bruises around Kamron's mouth, police said. He was pronounced dead Friday.

In the previous case, officials said child-welfare authorities initiated an inquiry in 2005 after investigators found that Flowers' own son, who was then less than 2 months old, had suffered several injuries, including leg and rib fractures.

Parental rights were terminated, and the child is now in the process of being adopted, officials said.