Draper father sentenced to prison in shaking death of infant son

WEST JORDAN — A Draper father who pleaded guilty in the shaking death of his 1-month-old son has been sentenced to prison.

Mijail Alejandro Russell-Torres, 25, was sentenced to two terms of one to 15 years in prison for child abuse homicide and child abuse inflicting serious physical injury, both second-degree felonies. Third District Judge Charlene Barlow ordered that the prison terms run concurrently.

Rusell-Torres called 911 in August claiming his 1-month-old son, Theodore, had drowned while he was bathing him in his Draper home near 13000 S. Pinnacle Way. The baby was not breathing when he was transported by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center.

Doctors at the hospital told Draper police that the baby was showing signs of shaken-baby syndrome, including a head injury. Doctors also said the baby showed no signs of drowning.

When asked about the doctors' findings, Russell-Torres apparently admitted holding the baby and violently shaking him forward and backward, according to a police report. He allegedly told police he realized he hurt the baby after it started showing other signs of illness, which is when he gave the baby a bath.

It wasn't until the baby turned cold and stopped breathing that Russell-Torres called 911, the report states. He pleaded guilty to the charges in November.

— Emiley Morgan

Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam