New Mexico – A New Mexico man, later identified as 35-year-old Jarred, was arrested following the death of his chiId. He faces two felony counts: chiId abuse resuIting in death, and abandonment or abuse of a chiId resuIting in death, according to the county jail records and local law enforcement .
Police say officers responded to a 911 call last week, reporting a 5-month-old baby not breathing in the defendant’s residence in New Mexico . First responders found the child unresponsive on a couch and began CPR. The child was transported to the regional medical center where he was pronounced dead at 2:42 p.m.
Investigators from the Police Department’s Special Operations Unit, working with the 9th Judicial District Major Crimes Unit, took over the case. They immediately secured the scene and began gathering evidence and witness statements. A search warrant was executed on the home later that day.
New Mexico authorities described the residence as unsanitary—reportedly littered with animal f-ces, rotten and moIdy food, drug paraphernalia, a dirty mattress, and a baby bottle containing a cockroach . Investigators noted that every surface was soiIed, and the second child found in the house was lying on a ur-ne-soaked mattress with severe diaper rash. That child was immediately placed in protective custody .
According to the criminal complaint, the defendant originally told officers that he had left his baby in a tipped-over bouncer for about an hour while he visited a friend. He claimed he returned to find the baby purple in the face and unresponsive . The parent said the child slept in the bouncer because the crib had cockroaches. His friend initially corroborated this version of events.
However, investigators say physical evidence was not consistent with those accounts. Detectives reported the body showed signs of rigor mortis already releasing when transported—indicating the child had likely been dead for six to eight hours, far longer than the timeline the father provided .
Further, the child’s body had marks around the neck consistent with strangulation. A key witness—the woman present in the home—provided additional statements. She eventually told detectives that earlier in the day she heard the baby crying at about 1 a.m. When she checked the bedroom, she observed the defendant holding the infant wrapped in a blanket and squeezing the baby’s neck with both hands, appearing to strangle him. She said she yelled for the defendant and realized the child might be dead .
Clovis Police Chief Tron described the conditions in the home as shocking and unprecedented for the community, emphasizing how deeply disturbing such an incident is. Lt Lomis noted that the body’s condition, specifically the timing of rigor mortis, was inconsistent with White’s statements .
The defendant remains jailed without bond. Authorities continue to investigate, gathering further evidence and statements. They also affirm that anyone with relevant information can contact the local police department through its non‑emergency line or anonymously via the tip411 program, or reach the County Crime Stoppers .