A 19-year-old mother and a 22-year-old boyfriend are under arrest after the woman’s 5-month son died at Wednesday at Children’s Hospital.
Doctors determined the infant had suffered numerous bodily injuries, including a fractured skull, broken ribs and a shattered leg.
It began three days earlier when boyfriend Jacques Miller rushed the child to New Orleans East Hospital as the baby was having a seizure.
Doctors noticed the child had unrelated facial injuries and notified authorities.
They also sent baby Marques Powell to Children’s Hospital for special care and treatment.
Both Lashtonay Powell and Jacques Miller were first booked on charges of cruelty to a juvenile when arrested on Tuesday.
Wednesday, when baby Marques died of his injuries, were the charges amended to second degree murder as an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.
Powell and Miller are being held on $350,000 bail.
Powell claims the baby fell from a car seat.
Miller, who is not the father of the baby, has denied being the one who abused the child.
According to the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate, the couple could spend the rest of their in prison if convicted on the charges.