Man to face trial in death of girlfriend’s baby son

The child’s mother testified that her son was fine before she left for work.

STAFF REPORT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A man accused in the death of his girlfriend’s 18-month-old son will stand trial, District Justice Melissa Amodie has ruled.

Michael Peters died April 22 in Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide from blunt force trauma.

Michael had been taken to Jameson Health System the afternoon of April 12 after Mark Strickler, 22, of John Street reported the baby slipped under bath water while Strickler was answering the phone. The child’s mother, Loraine Peters, 23, was at work at Giant Eagle on Butler Road at the time.

Strickler is charged with criminal homicide. At Strickler’s preliminary hearing Wednesday, Peters testified that she, Michael and his 4-year-old brother lived with Strickler since Feb. 7, having moved first into his apartment and then to the house on John Street next to his parents. She now lives in Corry, Pa., and is expecting another child. She testified Strickler is the father.

Peters testified that the day Michael was taken to Jameson began normally. She said Michael ate his breakfast, she washed his face and he went to play with his brother. He later ate his lunch fine, she said.

She told assistant district attorney Thomas Minett she noticed bruises above Michael’s eye and questioned Strickler about them.

Strickler told her the baby fell off the couch and hit his head on an end table, she said.

She said after lunch, she put Michael down for a nap. Strickler’s father drove her to work, she said, and she got there around 2:40 p.m. A short time later, Strickler called her to say something was wrong with Michael and she should come home. He sent a cousin to pick her up, and the cousin drove her to Jameson.

New Castle Patrolman John Charmo was called to the hospital at the request of the fire department. He testified Strickler also told him the baby slipped under the water in the tub while he was answering the phone. He said Strickler also told him the baby fell off the couch the night before and hit his head.

Peters testified that Strickler was at home most of the day before she went to work.

That contradicted testimony by Strickler’s brother, Michael Strickler. Michael Strickler testified that his brother was with him most of the time, and that he dropped him off at his home at 2:30 p.m.

Strickler’s attorney, James M. Ecker, said there’s no evidence that his client “did anything to this child.”

“Police assume that because he’s holding the baby, he did it,” Ecker said.

Minett rebutted Ecker’s argument.

“When the defendant had the opportunity to explain, he said, ‘I was home with the baby,’ not, ‘I didn’t have the baby [all day],’ said Minett.

He said if an adult is the sole caregiver when a baby is harmed, it’s reasonable to believe the adult is responsible.

When Michael was taken to Jameson, he was covered in bruises, according to an affidavit of probable cause on file at Justice Amodie’s office.

He 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 genitals.

Strickler has remained in the Lawrence County Jail without bond.