Man faces murder charge in 4-month-old’s head trauma death, report says

A 4-month-old Las Vegas lad who died of caput trauma had been shaken by his begetter aggregate times and suffered encephalon injuries accordant with those suffered successful centrifugal conveyance crashes oregon successful interaction sports, according to a Las Vegas constabulary report.

The child, Levi Rangel, died connected Sept. 16, and his father, Mykeal Rangel, faces a execution charge. Brooke Lehman, 20, Rangel’s woman and the boy’s mother, besides faces charges successful the case.

According to a Metropolitan Police Department apprehension study Mykeal Rangel, 20, told detectives that the lad had gastroesophageal reflux disease. In the aboriginal greeting of Sept. 10, helium said, helium woke up erstwhile Lehman went to work. He said helium past observed the lad struggling to eat.

Rangel said helium called Lehman, but portion helium was connected the telephone Levi took “one labored breath” and made a sound earlier his caput dropped back.

Rangel said helium began moving from the location connected the 700 artifact of Leavorite Avenue toward a adjacent occurrence presumption with the lad successful his arms earlier flagging down a van to instrumentality them the remainder of the way, each the portion performing CPR. Firefighters helped assistance astatine the station, past took the lad to Summerlin Hospital, wherever helium died six days later.

A doc astatine the infirmary told constabulary that Levi had been “shaken and beaten to death,” and said his encephalon injuries were accordant with large conveyance accidents oregon athletes who play high-contact sports.

During an interview, Rangel initially told detectives that he’d squeezed Levi “too hard,” connected 2 occasions successful the past. He besides said helium hadn’t slept for 2 days, suffered from insomnia, bipolar upset and depression, the study said.

Detectives past told Rangel that Levi was suffering from aggregate encephalon bleeds and rib fractures. Rangel told detectives helium whitethorn person caused the fractures by squeezing him excessively hard.

In a 2nd interview, Rangel changed his story, saying shaken Levi astir a period earlier, but had not done truthful since, the study said.

He aboriginal amended that relationship arsenic well, saying determination were aggregate times wherever helium “wanted to hurt” Levi, including connected Sept. 10. He past said he’d squeezed Levi 7 oregon 8 times and shaken him 2 oregon 3 times, the study said.

Finally, helium stated that either helium oregon Lehman had killed Levi.

The boy’s decease was caused by abusive caput trauma, according to the Clark County coroner’s office, which ruled his decease a homicide.

Rangel was charged with murder, kid maltreatment oregon neglect and allowing kid maltreatment oregon neglect. Lehman was charged with 2 counts of allowing kid maltreatment oregon neglect.

Rangel was being held without bail astatine the Clark County Detention Center, portion Lehman was released connected $25,000 bail.

A preliminary proceeding was acceptable for Oct. 26.

Contact Jonah Dylan astatine jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan connected Twitter.