Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 6, 1993 TAG: 9305060129
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MANASSAS LENGTH: Medium
Darnell Okedeji Robinson died Tuesday night at Fairfax Hospital. The boy had been on a life-support system after sustaining severe brain injuries police believe were suffered in a beating late Sunday.
Fatai Okedeji, boyfriend of the child's mother, was charged with murder and ordered held without bond pending a hearing today in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Commonwealth's Attorney Paul Ebert said the decision of social service officials to return the boy to the house after an initial incident about three weeks ago was a "poor one." Okedeji was charged with assault in that incident and was ordered to attend parenting classes and never to be alone with the child.
Social workers took the child from the home after the initial incident but returned him a few hours later after authorities interviewed Okedeji and the boy's mother, Clare Robinson.
"This may teach us a lesson," Ebert said. "We should have earlier hearings and protective orders, and in questionable cases, we will err on the side of safety."
Okedeji, 28, cared for the child while Robinson worked.
Anne Godson, Okedeji's attorney, said her client said "he has absolutely not struck that child."
The unconscious boy was taken Sunday night to Potomac Hospital, where hospital workers were told he had fallen in the bathtub and had a seizure, officials said.
Investigators said the injuries resulted from a severe beating to the head.
The boy was flown to Fairfax Hospital for more intense treatment.
The boy's baby sitter, Marilyn Breedlove, said she reported the alleged abuse to social services officials on April 13, when she saw red, black and blue marks. She also took nearly a dozen photographs of the bruises, she said.
She said Darnell refused to talk about his bruises.
"He'd jabber all the time about everything else," she said. "But whenever you would ask him about any of his hurts, he would just shake his head no, or just say that they hurt. He would never say who did it."
Police spokesman Buddy Dulaney said Okedeji and Robinson told investigators the bruises came from a spanking given for discipline.
Authorities said they have no plans to place charges against the mother.
Ricardo Perez, Prince William's director of social services, said the county's six caseworkers handle about 1,000 child abuse complaints a year.
"In any case of this proportion, we would absolutely want to take a look at what our involvement was in the case and whether we handled it properly or not," he said.
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB