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Niles man charged with murder of infant daughter named in other incidents
Niles man faces charges in death of his 5-week-old daughter
By Ed Runyan
NILES
Matthew L. Wilson, 32, of Niles and Minerva, who was charged last week with the death of his 5-week-old daughter, was named in another police report three days before the girl was injured Feb. 10.
At 10:57 a.m. Feb. 7, Niles police were called to a home on Emmet Street, where Wilson reported the baby’s grandmother, Sheila L. Nickell, 55, his girlfriend’s mother, slapped him four to six times in the face and head and pushed him a couple times.
Wilson told police he and Nickell argued because Wilson had “woke everyone up late” to drop off his son for baby-sitting.
Wilson told police Nickell hit him until he was out of her apartment, “while he was holding his son. He was concerned about his son while she was pushing him,” the report said.
Wilson and the baby’s mother, Brittney Watkins, 27, have two children together, police noted in the report.
Niles Municipal Court records indicate Nickell was never charged in the Feb. 7 incident.
Wilson was convicted of misdemeanor assault involving Watkins in September 2015 in Mahoning County Area Court in Boardman after being charged with domestic violence.
He was arrested May 17, 2015, at Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley in Boardman after a family member claimed Wilson “grabbed her face and moved her backward onto a couch during an argument related to their baby.”
Wilson and Watkins had a son Feb. 21, 2015, according to Vindicator birth notices.
Niles police arrested Wilson in Minerva on Saturday. He is expected to be arraigned on the murder charge today in Niles Municipal Court.
Niles police said the city fire department and Lane Ambulance responded to a medical call to a home on Bellair Court about 2:19 p.m. Feb. 10 for what was reported as a baby with a heart condition.
The baby was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital.
Niles police issued a news release Saturday that said Akron Children’s Hospital called police Feb. 11 to report a case of possible abuse in reference to the baby. Soon after that, an investigation began by Niles detectives, Trumbull County Children’s Services and the county prosecutor’s office.
The baby, Aubrianna Isabelle Wilson, died Feb. 15 at Akron Children’s Hospital, according to her obituary.