Police Arrest Boyfriend In Death Of 20-Month-Old

A 20-month-old boy is dead and his mother’s boyfriend is in jail after the infant was found bruised and unconscious in an apartment here Tuesday.

Ralph James Reyes, 21, was booked into Kootenai County Jail late Tuesday on a felony charge of causing injury to a child.

“It appears to be an extreme child-abuse case,” said Spirit Lake Police Chief Roy Hope. “He had bruises about the body.”

Reyes claimed the child bruised himself the day before when he fell off a rocking horse and cut himself on the springs, said Catherine Magyar, manager of the apartment complex.

The death of Anthony Mitchell is the latest in a string of suspicious child deaths in North Idaho and Spokane.

Earlier this year, two North Idaho men in two separate cases were convicted of causing injuries that led to the deaths of their girlfriends’ children. Since 1995, at least three Spokane boyfriends have been charged or convicted of the same crime.

Tuesday’s incident started around noon at Timber Lane Apartments, where Reyes lived with Anna Mitchell, 20, the child’s mother.

Reyes ran out of the apartment screaming and grabbed a relative who lives next door, Magyar said. Theresa Smith, the child’s aunt, tried giving the boy CPR.

“The side of his head was cut, and he was bruised,” Magyar said.

Paramedics rushed the child to Kootenai Medical Center, where Coeur d’Alene police were stationed to keep an eye on Reyes.

There, a brief skirmish broke out between Reyes and one of the child’s relatives.

“He (the relative) was upset when he learned the baby had passed away,” said Police Capt. Carl Bergh.

Hope said the bruises on the child made him suspect abuse, although he’d never heard complaints about Reyes.

An autopsy is scheduled today.

Magyar said Reyes and Mitchell met at Silverwood Theme Park. Reyes typically baby-sat Anthony while Mitchell went to school in the morning.

“He always seemed like a gentleman to me,” the apartment manager said.

But neighbors said they often heard Reyes screaming at the boy.

“When it comes to Anthony, he doesn’t have any patience,” said John Pritchett, 17.

A woman who works as a waitress at a Spirit Lake restaurant questioned Reyes’ handling of the child.

Teresa Morgan said the couple came into the Hog and Jog a couple of times a week. She said she saw Reyes strike and shove the child.

“I’ve seen him (Reyes) yank on his arm and smack him,” Morgan said.

Reyes and the boy recently went to the restaurant without the child’s mother, Morgan said. They were eating french fries in a booth with other adults.

When the baby got restless, Morgan said, Reyes shoved him down a few times in the seat.

Then “he (Reyes) grabbed him by the arm and flung him into the corner of the bench,” Morgan said. “His head smacked into the bench.”

Morgan confronted Reyes.

“I said don’t smack him around again, it really bothers me,” she said.

The group left immediately.

Morgan said Anthony’s mother always appeared to be caring and attentive to the child.

Neighbors said Anthony’s presence will be missed. He liked to kick and chase a ball around the complex.

“He was a happy-go-lucky little camper,” said neighbor Bob Ward.

“In my opinion, he was one of the best kids around,” said Norman Robbins.

Morgan said she’ll remember him as a child who loved to dance.

“I always took him over and let him put money in the jukebox.”

, DataTimes