A heartbreaking and disturbing incident has occurred in the US, where a 4-month-old baby tragically lost his life after being forced to sleep face-down by his mother's boyfriend. The mother allegedly allowed this to happen, despite knowing the risks of this dangerous act.
The incident took place on August 15, 2024, when Ashlen Zitel, 28, left her boyfriend Austin Meyn, 27, to watch her two children while at work.
According to The Mirror report, Zitel, allowed her boyfriend Meyn to swaddle her 4-month-old baby in blankets and place him face-down on a mattress causing the child to suffocate to death in Nebraska. Zitel was at work at the time of incident.
Meyn was reportedly frustrated that the baby was crying and hoping this would reduce the baby's ability to breathe leaving him to pass out and stop crying, according to text messages exchange between Zitel and Meyn.
The text messages also revealed that Zitel told him that he didn't have to roll the baby back over.
“Ashlen Zitel does not appear to question the methods that Meyn is using, including being aware that the baby’s oxygen levels are intentional being reduced as he is face down and unable to roll over on his own,” the affidavit in the case said.
When Meyn called Zitel to tell her the baby was unresponsive, she returned from work and she attempted CPR. However, her attempt to revive him failed and she called the paramedics and the child was transported to Beatrice Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Police also reported that the baby had bruising on his body and an autopsy revealed he had sustained several injuries, including hemorrhaging on multiple locations on his head and broken ribs. The autopsy report included that the symptoms the child suffered from were reportedly consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
KOLN reported Zitel was sentenced to six years probation and ordered to serve 120 days in jail, to be served 30 days at a time between 2027 and 2030. The court might waive her confinement. Her sentence was also related to charges from a separate child sexual abuse case.
