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Family of dead baby fields threats
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The dog that police think may have been involved in the death of 3-day-old Aiden Grim early Sunday morning was protective of the newborn, the grandmother and mother of Aiden said Monday.
Inside their home in the 3500 block of Valerie Drive, the family said they had been fielding threats from people since news of Aiden’s death broke Monday, when detectives said the baby was placed in a clothes basket – a makeshift crib – and possibly suffered a fatal injury from one of five dogs in the home.
“The dog kissed him and was very protective of him,” Patricia Grim, the grandmother of Aiden, said Monday. “We don’t know what happened. We just think he [the dog] was playing with him.”
Police were called to the South Side home about 5:45 a.m. Sunday, where they found Aiden with his eyes closed and not breathing. Paramedics from Rural Metro who were called along with police said the boy was dead.
Kristy Grim, Aiden’s mother, said she called 911 as soon as she discovered the baby was injured. She said she was sleeping on a couch next to the baby, who was in the clothes basket on the floor next to the couch, when she heard him crying.
“I heard him screaming and he was covered in blood,” Kristy Grim said.
Kristy Grim said she did not have the money for a crib or bassinet. She said she was promised by the hospital where she delivered the baby that she would receive one, but it had not arrived when they took Aiden home after his birth Thursday.
Lt. Doug Bobovnyik of the detective bureau said Aiden was not mauled by the dog, but investigators do believe the baby was wounded by the dog.
“There was sure a noticeable injury,” Bobovnyik said. Bobovnyik said Aiden came home from the hospital Saturday.
The dog, a mixed breed, was taken by the Mahoning County Dog Warden’s office. The coroner’s office also is investigating. Bobovnyik said detectives will wait until that investigation is completed then consult with the city prosecutor’s office to see if any charges will be filed.
Patricia and Kristy both said they are “devastated” by the loss of Aiden. Kristy said she picked his first name because she always liked it, while Patricia said the baby’s middle name, Jonathan, is for her husband, who died a few years ago.
“I loved that baby with all my heart,” Patricia Grim said.
Both said they had been receiving threats and rude comments since news of the baby’s death was first reported.
“She didn’t do anything wrong,” Patricia Grim said of her daughter. “She just fell asleep for a couple of minutes.”
The grandmother also said her daughter called police right away and the baby was still alive just before police arrived. “The baby was still warm when they got there,” Patricia Grim said.