Youngstown man indicted for daughter's death

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By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A Woodside Avenue man was indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury Thursday in the death of his 4-month-old daughter.

Evan Lee, 22, was indicted on a charge of murder, two counts of child endangering and felonious assault after an investigation into the May 13 death of his daughter, Ila Lee, at their 928 Woodside Ave. home.

The case was directly presented to the grand jury. Lee is not yet in custody.

Detective Sgt. Darryl Martin, lead investigator, said no one knew for sure what caused the baby’s death until an autopsy was done by the Summit County Coroner’s Office in Akron. Martin said the baby was killed by a blow to her head.

Reports said Lee was home with the baby and ran outside to find a phone, because there was no phone in the home, when he discovered the baby was not breathing. Lee found a man walking down the street and used his cellphone to call the baby’s mother first, then 911.

Martin said paramedics tried to treat the baby, but she already was dead by the time they reached the hospital.

There was no sign of anything amiss inside the house when detectives were called out, Martin said. Evan Lee told investigators his daughter had started choking and that’s why he called 911, Martin said. There was no evidence, however, that the baby had choked, Martin said.

The autopsy showed that the baby’s death was caused by an injury to her brain, Martin said.

Martin said the third time detectives interviewed Lee, he told police he picked up his daughter and, in doing so, hit her head on a table.

But Martin said the baby’s injuries do not add up to that story.

Court records do not list any prior criminal charges for Evan Lee.

Martin said there was no evidence to indicate that the baby was abused for a significant period of time.

“I think this is a one-time incident,” Martin said.

Last week, a Cambridge Street woman, Julie Keyes, 27, was indicted on charges of felonious assault and child endangering for injuries her 4-month-old son suffered July 9 in their home. In that case, the baby’s father took his son to Akron Children’s Hospital Boardman Campus, where tests showed injuries to two parts of the infant’s brain, and he was transferred to the hospital’s main campus in Akron.

Police interviewed Keyes at the Boardman Campus, and reports said she appeared disoriented and intoxicated. Court records show her arraignment is set for Tuesday in common pleas court.