HOUSTON – A man accused of shaking his 7-month-old baby to death in January is now charged with murder.
Court documents say Albert Collin Zuniga, 22, of Houston, claimed that on January 23, the child had been having breathing difficulties and that he found her not breathing after leaving her on a bed while he warmed up a bottle and used the bathroom while caring for the girl while her mother was at work.
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Records show Zuniga told police that when he checked on his daughter, she was not breathing and he called his mother who was also at the home and she called an ambulance after looking at the baby’s body, according to court documents.
The girl was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital where the 7-month-old died two days later.
Texas Children’s Hospital notified Houston police that the child had injuries consistent with being shaken.
An investigation led authorities to believe the baby girl’s cause of death was blunt force head trauma, as she had multiple injuries to her brain and spinal cord. Further, authorities said Zuniga “inflict(ed) violent acceleration-deceleration forces on the (child) with (his) hand and did thereby cause the death of the (child).”
Zuniga has been arrested and appeared in court for the first time Friday.