Suspect Arrested for Assault of 19-Month-Old Child
Spokane Valley Major Crimes Detectives, investigating a seriously injured 19-month-old child, arrested 19-year-old Mickey E. Brown for Assault 1st Degree. The young victim remains hospitalized in critical condition and is not expected to survive.
On August 4, 2021, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Spokane Valley Deputies responded to a residence near the intersection of 2nd and Custer in Spokane Valley. They were requested by Spokane Valley Fire Firefighters, who responded to the location for a medical call of a 1-year-old who wasn’t breathing.
Deputies contacted SVFD personnel at the scene, who explained that the very young victim was not breathing and had a low heart rate when they arrived. They continued to provide life-saving medical aid, and the victim was transported to a hospital for emergency treatment for suspicious injuries that couldn’t be explained.
Deputies learned the victim was in the care of 19-year-old Mickey E. Brown, the boyfriend of the victim’s mother, while she worked.
Major Crimes Detectives were called to the scene to continue the investigation due to the life-threatening and unexplainable injuries to the victim.
Major Crimes Detective Jason Hunt responded to the residence and learned the victim could not breathe on her own. Brown was the victim’s sole care provider at the time while his girlfriend, and mother of the victim, worked.
Brown told Detective Hunt, he had fed the victim when she woke up and had just finished giving her a bath when she started to have a seizure. He ended up running with the victim to a family member’s home a short distance when he tripped and fell on her. He got up and continued to his destination. He called 911 while a family member began CPR.
Detective Hunt continued asking questions about the victim’s injuries, and Brown said the only other event he could remember that may have caused the victim to be injured was when one of his dogs knocked her over while playing in the yard.
The victim’s mother stated she was at work when she was advised he daughter had stopped breathing, had no pulse, and had suffered a seizure. She immediately responded to the hospital, where Detectives contacted her. She explained she is very cautious of who is around the victim. She said she left the victim in Brown’s care when she went to work and was unaware of anyone else being present when the incident occurred.
On August 6, 2021, Deputy Hunt was advised by a doctor specializing in pediatric critical care that the victim suffered from severe life-threatening injuries, which could not be reasonably explained. He said he classified the injuries as non-accidental, inflicted trauma indicative of child abuse, and will “most likely” result in death. He added the victim’s injuries are “highly specific” for “abusive head trauma.”
Detective Hunt arrested Brown this afternoon and booked him into the Spokane County Jail for Assault of a Child 1st Degree.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation. Charges could be amended or added depending on the outcome.
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