Phoenix-area man rearrested for alleged murder of 3-month-old son
Dec 7, 2018, 10:15 AM | Updated: 7:19 pm
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photo)
PHOENIX — A Buckeye man was rearrested for allegedly murdering his 3-month-old child last year, police announced Friday.
John-Anthony Centano, 25, was arrested on Thursday for the June 2017 death of his son.
Centano initially faced charges of second-degree murder when he was first arrested in May, but now he faces charges of first-degree murder. He will also face a child abuse charge.
Buckeye police said “additional evidence came to light” over the past few months, allowing a grand jury to issue another indictment for the murder charges.
The first case against Centano was dismissed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office shortly after his arrest.
The case dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be filed again.
According to AirForceTimes, the county attorney’s office did not specify why prosecutor Bill Montgomery sought to have the charges dismissed.
An autopsy revealed the baby had died of complications from head trauma, and his death was ruled a homicide. He had suffered brain hemorrhages and hematomas.
Centano, who was alone with the baby, initially told police he had taken him to a nearby emergency room after finding the boy unresponsive at home.
The child was then transferred to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police records showed Centano told slightly different stories to authorities and hospital staff and had suggested the large family dogs had hurt the baby.
The report also stated that based on interviews with Centano and the baby’s mother, no one else had been with the boy in the 24 hours before he died.
Centano was an airman at Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix.
He was booked into the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail in Phoenix.
