An Illinois man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for beating his girlfriend’s four-year-old daughter to death because the toddler spilled juice on the man’s Xbox game console.
Waukegan resident Jonathan Fair, 19, was indicted Wednesday on four counts of first-degree murder for the beating. His bail was set at five million dollars, the Daily Mail reported.
Prosecutors are already recommending a life sentence for the “heinous” nature of the crime.
Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Scheller told the grand jury that police investigators claimed that Fair was babysitting for his girlfriend when he severely beat little Skylar Mendez after the juice was spilled. The suspect eventually took her to the hospital but claimed she had fallen and hit her head.
Police allege that Fair kicked the child numerous times, but then became alarmed when she went unconscious after the beating.
Hospital personnel did not believe Fair’s story that the child fell and called the police to report a case of child abuse.
Fair was initially hit was charges of aggravated battery, but after conferring with hospital staff who examined the child, prosecutors ramped up the charges due to the grisly nature of the injuries.
Skylar’s aunt, Cecilia Villalpando, noted on a GoFundMe page that the family started out believing that the girl’s death was accidental. But the family says that after the indictment, minds were changed.
“We have found out that this was no tragic accident,” Villalpando wrote. “Our sweet angel’s life was taken from us by a heartless human being.”
“Just adding more pain into our lives knowing that someone took our baby girl,” Villalpando added.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.