Mesa man accused of murder, child abuse after death of infant daughter

PHOENIX — A 22-year-old man has been arrested for the death of his infant daughter, the Mesa Police Department announced on Thursday.

Jonathan Enriquez was booked into jail for first-degree murder and child abuse in connection with a July 11 case of a baby not breathing, police said.

On that day, Mesa Police officers responded to an apartment complex near Gilbert Road and University Drive to find the 4-week-old girl unresponsive.

They were allegedly told the baby girl choked while feeding from a bottle.

During their investigation, police learned that Enriquez was alone with the infant when she stopped breathing. They also learned the 4-week-old girl had injuries that were in different stages of healing.

The infant was brought to a hospital and remained in critical condition before dying two weeks later on July 26, police said.

During a police interview, Enriquez allegedly admitted to striking his infant daughter.

He is currently being held on a $1 million bond.

Enriquez’s arrest marks the second time Mesa police detained a young father in connection with his child’s death in the past two weeks. Another father, 19-year-old Arnold Barney, is facing first-degree murder and child abuse charges after his infant child died in late July.

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