Trial continued Wednesday for a man accused of shaking his girlfriend’s baby so violently that she later died.
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Kameron Newton, better known as Kami by her family, was 5 months old when she died from her injuries she allegedly suffered when Kenneth Reeves shook her, police said.
Reeves was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child. His trial started on Monday.
According to the criminal complaint, Reeves was alone with Kami at Julie Vojtash’s house on Parklow Street on Dec. 6, 2014, when Vojtash heard the baby crying. When Vojtash went to check on the child, Vojtash’s boyfriend, Reeves, was standing in the room.
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Vojtash told police that she discovered her daughter, had no pulse and had “lost consciousness.” When she asked Reeves, 29, what happened, he allegedly responded, “I don’t know.”
The complaint said that when Vojtash tried to give the baby a bottle, Kami lost consciousness within minutes “while her mother, Julie, was still holding her, and quit breathing."
The child was taken off life support three days later.
According to the criminal complaint, when Vojtash was talking to police, she said she remembered another time recently when she found Kami crying after being left alone with Reeves. At the time of Reeves’ arrest, he was already on probation for a child abuse case in North Versailles.
In 2014, Vojtash asked City Council to create a registry similar to the Megan’s Law registry, which identifies sexual predators.
Vojtash said the registry could prevent another tragedy.
“I am asking you to help me stop this, to help these kids have a chance. My daughter didn't,” she said.
We are working to gather more information on the trial. Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for continuing coverage.
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