Police say 21-year-old Dylan James Kitzmiller is directly responsible for the death of the infant, who belongs to his girlfriend, 26-year-old Maria Elena Sullivan. Evidence indicates that Sullivan knew that her boyfriend was abusing her newborn, but she did nothing to stop it. On the day of the infant's death, she had called a friend and made comments about "needing to get away" from the 21-year-old and his abusive ways. During the call, the child was alone with the man accused of killing him.
Later that night, 911 was called to the home shared by the couple, but nothing could be done. Sullivan told police that Kitzmiller was abusive to her baby, and that he frequently threw the boy around and slapped him. She also claimed that her boyfriend bit the baby, slapped him in the face and covered his mouth when he would cry. The woman also told police that her boyfriend was a heroin user.
Even though Maria Elena Sullivan knew her boyfriend was violently abusive with her newborn, she admittedly left the child alone with the man on more than one occasion. Pair this with refusing to seek help for the abuse, and it almost seems like the woman wanted her child to die at the hands of the 21-year-old man. This is why she has been arrested and charged in association with failing to protect her own child.
The 13-day-old infant in this case suffered horrifically leading up to his death. Doctors say he suffered from a broken rib, fractured spine and was incredibly emaciated at the time of his death. He also suffered from "massive brain swelling," which indicated that he had been tortuously shaken or beaten about the head to cause the injuries.