A Minnesota man was charged in connection with the death of a young foster child, according to local reports on Dec. 21.
Zayden was in the care of Homich’s girlfriend, Zeporia Fortenberry, 31, in June 2017, the report said. Fortenberry was charged in April with two counts of manslaughter in the case.
On June 7, 2017, first responders rushed to her home in Eagan after they received a call that the boy wasn’t breathing. Paramedics discovered the child was cold, had no pulse, and was not breathing. Zayden was later pronounced dead at a hospital, the report stated.
Investigators discovered that Fortenberry left Zayden and other children in the care of Homich while she worked a night shift at her job. She asked Homich to change the boy’s diaper, the station reported.
Fortenberry said she clothed the child in his pajamas and laid him on a mattress near her bed. She later noticed he wasn’t conscious while she was on the phone with Homich. She then called 911, Sun This Week reported.
An autopsy revealed that he died of blunt-force injuries, officials said.
“This little boy sustained horrific injuries … injuries he may have survived had the adults in his life sought the necessary medical care he so desperately needed,” Dakota County attorney James Backstrom said.
Homich is due in court this week, and his bail was set at $1 million without conditions, or $750,000 with conditions, according to the Star-Tribune.
Other details about the case are not clear.
Eagan, Dakota County, is located south of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
How to Report Suspected Child Maltreatment
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency so officials can investigate and assess the situation. Most states have a number to call to report abuse or neglect.To find out where to call, consult the State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers website.
“Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children),” according to Childhelp.