SAN JOSE (KRON) — The six-week-old baby girl who was allegedly abused by her father in San Jose has died.
The girl has been at Valley Medical Center suffering from serious injuries including a skull fracture since Sunday. She succumbed to her injuries Friday morning at 12:54 a.m.
Her father, Matthew Zabala, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony child abuse and felony domestic violence. Zabala appeared in court Friday on a murder charge.
“It’s such as tragic case anytime there’s a dead baby,” Sheriff Laurie Smith said.
He was present at Friday afternoon’s hearing at the Hall of Justice in San Jose where he was arraigned on charges of murder, assault likely to cause death and inflicting corporal injury on the child’s mother, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Stacey Capps said.
Zabala was represented in court Friday by the Santa Clara County Public Defender’s Office and stood next to a door out of sight from the public.
The baby girl was taken to VMC where staff discovered multiple fractures throughout the infant’s body including what appears to be a non-accidental skull fracture.
Zabala told investigators that Mila possibly suffered the skull fracture when he used force to remove her from a car seat placed on a couch and fell over last Saturday, sheriff’s detective Matthew Peyton said.
In the process, the girl’s head struck the car seat’s carry handle, according to Peyton.
Zabala stated he was frustrated while taking the child out of the car seat and the baby cried in pain for about 20 minutes, Peyton said.
On Sunday around 1:50 p.m., Mila’s mother had called 911 to report the baby girl wasn’t breathing at their home and performed CPR under the guidance of a dispatcher on the phone, Peyton said.
Emergency crews and deputies responded to the home where they found the infant was unconscious and transported her to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, according to Peyton.
Doctors provided Mila with intubation and other life-saving efforts, then placed her in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Peyton said.
Doctors found the girl had no brain activity and was sent to the emergency room, where she didn’t breathe for about 30 minutes, according to Peyton.
Medical personnel also took X-rays that showed Mila had multiple fractures on her body at different stages of healing, which showed she might have suffered the injuries in separate instances, Peyton said.
On Monday, doctors took an MRI of the child’s head that indicated her skull fracture didn’t appear to be an accident, according to Peyton.
Mila’s doctor said the baby needed to undergo other tests including for a genetic disorder that may account for her fractures, according to Peyton.
Detectives went to Zabala’s house in the 50th block of Boston Avenue in unincorporated San Jose to conduct interviews with the child’s parents and collect evidence.
After the investigation, Zabala, 32, was arrested by Sheriff’s Office detectives and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail. He is being held on a $500,000 bail.
Zabala is now facing murder charges, according to officials.
Previously, Zabala served seven months in the county jail and four years probation in a case back in 2009 involving another daughter who was 5 years old at the time. He had pleaded no contest.
The Sheriff’s Office and the Valley Medical Center Foundation are raising funds for a funeral service. To donate, click here.
All funds raised in excess of funeral costs will be donated to the VMC Foundation to benefit the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit.
Bail has been set for $1 million.
Zabala faces life in prison if convicted, according to Capps.
“This is the worst, worst scenario that can happen in a domestic abuse case. An innocent person has lost their life,” Capps said.
The child’s traumatic brain injury appears to be the cause of her death, according to Capps.
Zabala and the child’s mother have dated each other for five years, live together and besides Mila have no other children together, Peyton said.
The woman told investigators about Zabala’s history with domestic abuse during the relationship, according to Peyton.
The mother wasn’t sure how Mila was injured, but said Zabala was known to be “too rough” with the baby, Peyton said.
Zabala attended Gilroy High School and was part of the class of 2002, according to his Facebook page.
Mom of baby ‘Mila’ heard ‘blood curdling scream’ as child stopped breathing. Father Matt Zabala facing murder charge pic.twitter.com/1fSR7fhUkC
– Rob Fladeboe (@KRON4RFladeboe) August 26, 2016
#Sheriff Laurie Smith: suspect Matthew Zabala in ‘protective custody.’ Facing murder charge in daughter’s death pic.twitter.com/zbDZcRwZPp
– Rob Fladeboe (@KRON4RFladeboe) August 26, 2016