BENTONVILLE -- A Springdale man is fit to stand trial in the death of a baby, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Edward Alexis Martinez-Torres, 22, is charged with capital murder in the death of a 3-month-old boy. Martinez-Torres has pleaded innocent and is being held in the Benton County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond.
A mental evaluation determined Martinez-Torres is fit to stand trial. Drew Ledbetter, Martinez-Torres' attorney, did not contest the findings.
A jury trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 19 in Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green's courtroom. Pretrial hearings are scheduled for Sept. 18 and Dec. 18.
Bethel Heights police and medical personnel went to 2923 Kings Drive in Bethel Heights on June 9, 2016, for an emergency call of a baby not breathing, according to court documents.
The child was taken to Northwest Medical Center-Springdale and later transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Doctors there determined the baby suffered a skull fracture, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Martinez-Torres, who was baby-sitting, said he was in the kitchen preparing food and the child was in the bedroom crying, according to the affidavit. Martinez-Torres was dating the boy's mother, Kanchana Montero, according to court documents.
Martinez-Torres said he couldn't get the baby to stop crying. He told police he slapped the baby in the face with an open hand, then grabbed him by the forehead, "palming and squeezing" it while pushing his head down into the mattress, according to the affidavit.
State Desk on 09/09/2017