A 27-year-old Aurora man is now facing first-degree murder and aggravated-battery charges in Winnebago County after prosecutors say he caused the death of a 3-year-old Loves Park child who had complex medical needs. Authorities say the case grew out of a 2023 hospital stay, when staff and child-welfare officials flagged concerning injuries.
According to WIFR, Joshua Bernardini of Aurora is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a child causing great bodily harm or permanent disability. The Winnebago County State’s Attorney filed the murder count earlier this month after receiving a report from the Cook County Medical Examiner, according to court records. Prosecutors say that filing capped a months-long investigation that started with a referral to the Department of Children & Family Services in 2023.
Court documents and hospital records reviewed by WIFR state that doctors at UW Health SwedishAmerican identified brain injuries and bruising. The toddler had multiple disabilities, including skeletal dysplasia and hydrocephalus, and was nonverbal, tube-fed and dependent on a breathing mask. Records show the child went into cardiac arrest on July 8, 2023, was placed on a ventilator and died about 10 months later. An autopsy later ruled the death a homicide, listing the cause as “complications of remote closed head trauma due to child abuse.”
According to court filings, Bernardini was arrested in Aurora earlier this month by a Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force team, then extradited to Winnebago County and booked into the county jail. He made his first court appearance Tuesday, where the court granted the state’s motion to deny pretrial release. Bernardini is scheduled to return to Winnebago County court for arraignment on July 7.
What investigators say
Court records state that the child’s mother told investigators she and Bernardini argued while the toddler was crying and that she later noticed an injury on the child’s forehead, which she initially thought was related to existing medical issues. She also reportedly told officers that Bernardini at one point discouraged her from taking the child to the hospital and that she later asked hospital staff to bar him from visiting. Those statements are included in the materials prosecutors presented when they sought the murder charge.
Legal next steps
With Bernardini held without pretrial release, prosecutors are preparing for arraignment, where the charges will be formally read in court and a schedule set for discovery and future hearings. The defendant is presumed innocent under the law. If he is convicted of first-degree murder in Illinois, he could face life in prison or a lengthy term under state sentencing rules.
Abusive head trauma context
Abusive head trauma is a leading cause of fatal child abuse in young children, and clinicians rely on imaging studies and multidisciplinary review to help distinguish inflicted injuries from medical conditions, according to the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Both organizations stress that prompt reporting to child-welfare authorities and coordinated medical evaluations are critical when abusive head trauma is suspected.
Winnebago County officials have not released further comment beyond what is contained in court filings. This story will be updated if prosecutors, defense attorneys or the family issue statements, or if additional records are made public.
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