Minnesota man Admits to Killing His Girlfriend’s Young Son
Albert Lea, MN (KROC-AM News) - A southern Minnesota man with a history of felony assault convictions today entered guilty pleas to charges stemming from the death of a young child.
26-year-old Austin Michael Navarro was arrested last July following a traffic stop in Albert Lea. The criminal complaint against the Albert Lea man says officers had been pursuing him after they responded to a 911 call from his home concerning an unresponsive child.
The Freeborn County court document says the officers discovered that Navarro had left the scene by the time they arrived at the residence. They spoke with the toddler's mother, who lived with Navarro, her 2-year-old son, and their 12-week-old baby, and she told officers she had left work early after receiving text messages from Navarro that stated her son had been badly injured in a fall down some stairs.
The charges say she also told the officers that, after repeated requests, Navarro finally sent a photo to her phone that showed the two-year-old with blood on his lips, severe bruising, and appearing to be unresponsive. She indicated that when she arrived at the house, she had to force her way through a door because a knife had been jammed into it in an apparent attempt to prevent it from opening.
The criminal complaint says the unresponsive child was transported to the emergency room at the Mayo Clinic Albert Lea Health System Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a little over an hour later after extensive life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. A later autopsy determined the toddler's death was due to multiple blunt force injuries and was ruled a homicide.
Navarro today entered guilty pleas to second-degree murder and third-degree assault charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced in December. His plea agreement calls for a 25-year prison sentence.
Court records show his previous criminal history includes convictions for felony domestic assault, felony assault, two felony violations of domestic abuse no contact orders, and two misdemeanor domestic assault crimes.
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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross
