Iowa – An Iowa man was taken into custody earlier this month after Iowa authorities were called to the family’s home for a report of a chiId who was not breathing. The parent, 23-year-old DyIan, was booked on feIony chiId endangerment–serious injury and felony domestic abuse assauIt impeding the fIow of air or bIood, and authorities have since said they are working with the County Attorney’s Office to strengthen or add charges after the 2-month-old baby later died from her injuries. The young man remained in the county jail.
According to court documents summarized by local media, the defendant told investigators he struck his infant daughter more than four dozen times with both an open and a closed hand. In interviews with deputies, he admitted to the repeated blows that left the child unresponsive before first responders arrived. The baby was taken to a nearby hospital, placed on life support, and died days later, prompting prosecutors to review the case for potential upgraded charges in light of the child’s death.
Investigators documented that when the chiId’s mom tried to intervene during the assauIt, the defendant impeded her breathing, strangled her from behind until she lost consciousness. Reporting that draws from the arrest affidavit indicated he applied force to the mother’s neck while continuing the attack on the baby, an allegation authorities noted as part of the domestic abuse count tied to the same incident.
Deputies initially responded to the 911 call at the family’s residence in Iowa and found the baby in severe distress. Life-saving measures were initiated and the child was transported for emergency care. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office opened a child-endangerment investigation immediately, conducting on-scene interviews, securing the residence, and coordinating with medical staff to document the infant’s injuries. As part of the investigative steps, Iowa authorities obtained statements from both parents and reviewed the medical team’s findings to determine the probable cause that led to the father’s arrest that same day.
According to local news outlet, the baby’s mother was asleep when she was allegedly awakened by the sound of the man hitting the baby. She attempted to stop him, but he turned on her and allegedly struck her in the head and chased her out of the baby’s bedroom.
As the inquiry progressed, investigators relied on medical records and physician assessments that were consistent with inflicted trauma. Those findings, along with the defendant’s statement acknowledging that he hit the baby dozens of times, formed the basis of the child-endangerment–serious injury charge. The Sheriff’s Office said the case materials were forwarded to prosecutors, who began evaluating additional or enhanced charges following confirmation of the child’s death.
Local outlets reported that the baby’s death occurred after days on life support. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed the fatality and notified media that prosecutors were reviewing the case for potential changes to the charges in light of the new outcome. Authorities reiterated that the defendant’s original charges remained in place while the charging decision was being re-evaluated.
In their statements to responding officers, the father admitted he struck the child repeatedly, and the baby’s mother described trying to stop him before he turned on her, restricting her ability to breathe. Those accounts, together with the medical findings, were cited in the criminal complaint materials referenced by local and national legal outlets.