Man held in death of 18-month-old


By Jeanne Starmack

The baby was severely bruised and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A city man is charged with criminal homicide in the death of his girlfriend’s 18-month-old son.

Mark Strickler, 22, of Johns Street, was arraigned Wednesday in the office of District Justice Melissa Amodie.

Charges of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of children were withdrawn. The criminal homicide charge, the most serious of homicide charges under Pennsylvania law, was then filed.

The boy, whose name is not being released, died Tuesday at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he was admitted after being injured at the Johns Street home April 12.

Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo said his office will consider the death penalty.

“Every homicide is tragic,” Bongivengo said. “But when you have an 18-month-old child, it’s somehow worse.”

He said an autopsy report is not yet available, but he is going forward with the charge based on conversations with the boy’s doctors.

Strickler remains in the Lawrence County Jail without bond. A preliminary hearing is tentatively set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the county Central Court, but Bongivengo said that hearing is likely to be continued to another date.

The New Castle Fire Department responded to a 911 call at Strickler’s residence at 2:47 p.m. April 12, according to an affidavit of probable cause on file in Amodie’s office.

The call was regarding the baby’s being unconscious and not responding.

The boy’s mother, Loraine Peters, whom Bongivengo said lives at the address also, was at work. Strickler was watching the child and his 4-year-old brother.

An ambulance took the child, who was covered in bruises, to Jameson Hospital in New Castle, and he was taken by helicopter from there to Children’s.

The baby had extensive bruising on the right side of his face from the forehead down to his chin, scrapes on his right shoulder, bruising on his trunk and abdomen, bruises on his back, and severe bruising on his penis, according to the affidavit.

Lt. Cynthia Eve, who signed the affidavit, reported that she spoke with one of the child’s doctors at the Pittsburgh hospital. That doctor told her the baby had a traumatic brain injury. The doctor said the injuries were not caused by an accident. One of the child’s fingers looked like it had been shut in a door, the affidavit says.

Strickler told the fire department the baby got the bruises by falling off a couch the night before.

He told New Castle Police he left the child unattended in a bathtub to answer the phone shortly before he made the 911 call, and when he returned, the baby was under the water.

The affidavit says the child’s mother told police the baby was fine before she left for work.

starmack@vindy.com

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