LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas man has been charged and is accused of abusing his girlfriend's one-year-old son, which led to the child's death.
Las Vegas police say they received a call on June 1 that a one-year-old was unresponsive and not breathing. The boy was taken to the Summerlin Pediatrics Emergency Room where doctors said he had multiple brain bleeds and a broken leg. The child was stabilized and transported to Sunrise Hospital for emergency neurosurgery. However, he died there three days later.
An arrest report states Christian Moniz Rabino told police that he is not the child's biological father but he has been in the child's life for the past six months since he was dating his mother, Tautiana. The report states Moniz Rabino told officers the child had not been feeling well for the past few days and had a fever. He said he took him to the bathroom to give him a bath and cool him off before the child stopped breathing.
Officers asked Tautiana about the child's head and leg injuries and she "explained that two days ago, [he] fell off a bed in the apartment and bumped his head while in the care of Christian, but never reported the incident nor sought medical attention."
The report states the couple said the baby had previously had seizures and was taken to doctors who checked him out and the doctors "had no concerns so [he] was discharged."
In an interview with the biological father, identified as Cody, officers asked him about the child. He described the child as "a great baby who eats a lot but does have a temper." The report states Cody told officers that he had previously discussed the child's leg injury with Tautiana and they needed to get it checked out. He also stated he had seen bruises on the child, including his head and knees, but he thought they could be from crawling.
During an autopsy, the medical examiner found the child had bruising in different stages of healing on the body, including the forehead, left ear, behind the left ear, the left rib area, and knees. The medical examiner also found broken bones in each leg and hand.
"Cause and manner of death are pending, but a medical cause of death was not found, and Dr. [redacted] does believe abusive trauma will be the cause of death," the report reads in part.
Officers also spoke with an ophthalmologist who looked at the child's retinal scans and said the injuries are non-accidental trauma and that there were retinal hemorrhages along with a retinal detachment. He said it was "one of the worst cases he had seen" and the injuries are seen in "shaking back and forth, rapid acceleration, and deceleration."
On June 5, detectives interviewed a woman, who the report states is Tautiana's best friend. She told police she believed Tautiana was a great mother but that she was in a "bad relationship." She also told officers Tautiana had previously sent her photos of bruises and said Moniz Rabino "put his hands on her."
During another interview with detectives, the report states Tautiana told police that she "has issues, abandonment problems, is scared to be alone, and needs help" and that "she should not have overlooked [the abuse] and failed to protect [her kids]." She also told police that Christian may have shaken the child while she was in the kitchen because he "was angry, holding [him] and telling him to stop crying." She said Moniz Rabino then shook the child until she told him to stop.
Moniz Rabino has been charged with first degree murder and child abuse. Jail records show that he is in custody at the Clark County Detention Center, as of Wednesday night.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 7.
