Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tulalip man arrested, accused of beating toddler to death
MARYSVILLE — Police don’t believe that a fall down the stairs led to little Damoniko Ashby’s death seven months ago.
Instead, they believe the boyfriend of the 15-month-old’s mother beat the toddler.
In the hours before the young boy’s life gave out, Damoniko suffered extreme pain and was unable to function normally, said Dr. Norman Thiersch, the Snohomish County medical examiner.
On Tuesday, the boyfriend, 20, of Tulalip surrendered to Marysville police about 2 p.m. accompanied by his attorney, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said. The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of second-degree murder. A judge is scheduled to set bail today.
“It doesn’t bring Damoniko back,” said Dolores Johnson, the boy’s great aunt. “I’m thankful that the system worked this time.”
Paramedics on May 14 found the boy dead on a sofa. The boyfriend told investigators that Damoniko fell down stairs, according to a police report obtained by The Herald.
As detectives collected evidence, the facts didn’t match the man’s story, the report said. The boy didn’t have rug burns from the carpeted stairs, and the stairwell showed no signs that someone had fallen down them.
The man had been dating Damoniko’s mother for about four months, and the couple moved into the two-story apartment in the 7400 block of 47th Avenue NE about two months before the toddler’s death, the report said.
The mother’s family typically watched Damoniko while she worked. The relatives told detectives that once the boyfriend started living there, Damoniko had unexplained bruises and didn’t want to go home, the report said.
The night of the reported fall, the couple had argued over child care and the boyfriend agreed to watch Damoniko. It was only the second time the boyfriend was left alone with the child, the report said.
After the first time the man was alone with the boy, Damoniko suffered a black eye and a swollen face, the report said. The man blamed the injuries on a dog.
The night before the boy died, the boyfriend dropped the mother off at work around 5 p.m., the report said. The boyfriend told detectives that after returning to the home around 9 p.m. he was taking a bath and heard the boy fall.
The man told police he picked up Damoniko, gave him a bottle and the boy fell asleep on the couch. Later that night, the man heard the toddler making gurgling noises like there was fluid in his mouth and he was “trying to wake up,” the report said. The child never had problems waking up before, the report said.
At 1 a.m. the boy was gasping for breath. When the boyfriend woke up about 12 hours later, Damoniko was purple and wasn’t breathing, the report said. That’s when help was called.
According to the police report, the man also beat his ex-girlfriend while she was holding their 6-month-old son.
Police found prescription medicine in the man’s name that’s used by people who are being treated for opiate addictions, the report said.
Detectives concluded that the man was “the only person that could have caused the injuries resulting in (Damoniko’s) death,” the report said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
Instead, they believe the boyfriend of the 15-month-old’s mother beat the toddler.
In the hours before the young boy’s life gave out, Damoniko suffered extreme pain and was unable to function normally, said Dr. Norman Thiersch, the Snohomish County medical examiner.
On Tuesday, the boyfriend, 20, of Tulalip surrendered to Marysville police about 2 p.m. accompanied by his attorney, Marysville police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said. The man was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Tuesday for investigation of second-degree murder. A judge is scheduled to set bail today.
“It doesn’t bring Damoniko back,” said Dolores Johnson, the boy’s great aunt. “I’m thankful that the system worked this time.”
Paramedics on May 14 found the boy dead on a sofa. The boyfriend told investigators that Damoniko fell down stairs, according to a police report obtained by The Herald.
As detectives collected evidence, the facts didn’t match the man’s story, the report said. The boy didn’t have rug burns from the carpeted stairs, and the stairwell showed no signs that someone had fallen down them.
The man had been dating Damoniko’s mother for about four months, and the couple moved into the two-story apartment in the 7400 block of 47th Avenue NE about two months before the toddler’s death, the report said.
The mother’s family typically watched Damoniko while she worked. The relatives told detectives that once the boyfriend started living there, Damoniko had unexplained bruises and didn’t want to go home, the report said.
The night of the reported fall, the couple had argued over child care and the boyfriend agreed to watch Damoniko. It was only the second time the boyfriend was left alone with the child, the report said.
After the first time the man was alone with the boy, Damoniko suffered a black eye and a swollen face, the report said. The man blamed the injuries on a dog.
The night before the boy died, the boyfriend dropped the mother off at work around 5 p.m., the report said. The boyfriend told detectives that after returning to the home around 9 p.m. he was taking a bath and heard the boy fall.
The man told police he picked up Damoniko, gave him a bottle and the boy fell asleep on the couch. Later that night, the man heard the toddler making gurgling noises like there was fluid in his mouth and he was “trying to wake up,” the report said. The child never had problems waking up before, the report said.
At 1 a.m. the boy was gasping for breath. When the boyfriend woke up about 12 hours later, Damoniko was purple and wasn’t breathing, the report said. That’s when help was called.
According to the police report, the man also beat his ex-girlfriend while she was holding their 6-month-old son.
Police found prescription medicine in the man’s name that’s used by people who are being treated for opiate addictions, the report said.
Detectives concluded that the man was “the only person that could have caused the injuries resulting in (Damoniko’s) death,” the report said.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437, jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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