Man is charged in death of child

BEAVERDALE A 25-year-old man is charged with assaulting and killing a young girl he was baby-sitting Friday in his Blanche Street home.

Patrick Lynn Burkett of Beaverdale was arrested after 22-month-old Raegan Panick was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown and then transferred to Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh with severe head and brain injuries.

State police say Burkett was watching Raegan while the childs mother was at work on Friday.

When the mother came home after 4:30 p.m., police say, she found the child was unresponsive. She had Burkett call for an ambulance.

Raegan was taken to Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown and then taken by helicopter to Childrens, where she was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Allegheny County coroners office said.

Cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Her manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Doctors at Childrens and at Memorial told police the babys injuries were consistent with an assault.

Dr. Clifford Neal at Memorial said she had bruising on her head, abdomen, upper thigh and groin area, according to the criminal complaint.

Dr. Jennifer Wolford at Childrens told police Raegan had a fractured skull, retinal hemorrhaging and a herniated brain.

The rest is here:
Man is charged in death of child

Related Posts