Tragedy has struck Long Island as a young father is charged with the death of his 2-month-old daughter, in what the Nassau County District Attorney is calling "revolting violence." Marlon Rabanales Pretzantzin, 20, was indicted on second-degree murder charges after being accused of beating and shaking his daughter, Liseyda Rabanales-Barrios, to death on March 7. According to NBC New York, the indictment alleges the infant suffered from severe injuries including head contusions, rib fractures, significant hemorrhaging in the neck area, and dislocated vertebrae.
The New York Post reported that Rabanales Pretzantzin pleaded not guilty to the heinous act, despite prosecutors' claims he attacked his crying daughter in a violent rage. The baby was allegedly slapped, punched, shaken, and then pinned down on a bed, causing her death. A neighbor called 911 after Rabanales Pretzantzin brought the unresponsive child to their apartment.
"He was given the gift of a beautiful little girl, and on March 7, he returned that gift bloodied, beaten, and dead," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said in a statement obtained by the New York Post. The prosecutor's office also revealed Liseyda's autopsy indicated earlier rib fractures, suggesting previous abuse. Rabanales Pretzantzin is currently being held without bail and is represented by Legal Aid, who has not commented on the active case.
Authorities have dismissed the initial story Rabanales Pretzantzin told first responders, claiming that the baby had choked and later that she had fallen from the bed. "This defendant, tired of his 2-month-old daughter’s crying, allegedly beat and shook her so violently that he caused severe hemorrhaging and dislocated the vertebrae in the child’s neck, killing her," Donnelly condemned in a statement obtained by NBC New York. Calling attention to the difficulty of parenting, Donnelly urged anyone feeling overwhelmed to step away and calm down rather than resort to rough treatment or violence toward an infant.
Rabanales Pretzantzin awaits his next court date on May 6 and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
