CROWN POINT — A father made an initial court appearance on battery and neglect charges Wednesday, the same day his 18-month-old child died at a Chicago hospital after suffering injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome, police said.
Casey L. Burnett, 22, of Gary, is accused of causing his daughter’s injuries late Thursday night while her mother was away at work.
Kylee Burnett, 18 months, was pronounced dead Wednesday afternoon at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, according to court records and Gary police Cmdr. Jack Hamady.
A magistrate entered not guilty pleas on Burnett’s behalf to aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, both level 3 felonies.
Burnett’s initial hearing occurred several hours before Kylee died. The Lake County prosecutor’s office could file upgraded charges at a later date.
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Burnett’s bail was set at $60,000 surety or $6,000 cash. The magistrate granted Burnett’s request for a public defender.
According to court records, the children’s mother went to work about 8:45 pm Thursday, leaving Kylee and her older brother at home with Burnett.
Burnett’s relative, who visited the home that night and helped care for the children at times, told police Burnett was alone with both children for about 20 minutes at one point, court records state.
When the children’s mother arrived home early from work, she and Burnett went into the girl’s bedroom and found the child unresponsive, records state.
The mother told police the baby was lying facedown in her crib, with her head on a pillow and blankets completely covering her body.
The mother called 911, attempted to drive her daughter to a local hospital and flagged down a Gary Fire Department medic while en route, records state.
Medics took the child to Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus, and she was later transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital.
Doctors in Chicago determined the girl had suffered severe hypoxic injury to the brain and herniation, extensive retinal hemorrhages and lacerations to her liver and spleen, records state.
Burnett agreed to speak with detectives, according to court records.
He told them he gave the children melatonin about 11 pm to help them sleep. He claimed he put his daughter down on her stomach and covered her halfway with a blanket and allowed his son to play with a cell phone.
Burnett said he went downstairs but returned about five minutes later to check on the children after hearing movement. He discovered his daughter was out of bed, so he put her back in bed by placing her flat on her stomach, covering her halfway on her back, turning out the light and closing the door, he told police.
Burnett said when he and Kylee’s mother found Kylee unresponsive, he thought Kylee must have moved the blanket because it wasn’t how he left it, records state.
Burnett repeatedly denied causing his daughter’s injuries. He declined to submit to compute voice stress analysis, telling police he was in shock and “wasn’t in the right state of mind to participate.”
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
Galiland Jackson Jr.
Age: 33
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207949
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: POSSESSION – FIREARM – BY A SERIOUS VIOLENT FELON
Highest Offense Class: felony
Louis Kalozi
Age: 52
Residential: Fort Dix, NJ
Booking number(s): 2207927
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: SEX CRIME – SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH MINOR/FONDLING
Highest Offense Class: felony
Elena Salazar Bernal
Age: 20
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207941
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY – SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: misdemeanor
Alan Stooksbury
Age: 29
Residential: Fort Wayne, IN
Booking number(s): 2207922
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: felony
Marco Labra
Age: 34
Residential: Lake Station, IN
Booking number(s): 2207945
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: RIVERBOAT GAMBLING- CASINO GAMBLING VIOLATIONS
Highest Offense Class: felony
Denzel Lackey
Age: 31
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207918
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: HOMICIDE-MURDER
Highest Offense Class: felony
Anthony Brown
Age: 38
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207921
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: SEX CRIME – SEXUAL MISCONDUCT WITH MINOR/FONDLING
Highest Offense Class: felony
Brian West
Age: 33
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207951
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
Highest Offense Class: felony
Vincent Adkins
Age: 51
Residential: Lake Station, IN
Booking number(s): 2207917
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: felony
Dominique Bentley Hannah
Age: 27
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207956
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: BURGLARY
Highest Offense Class: felony
Darryl Mosley
Age: 39
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207930
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE; DOMESTIC BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony; Misdemeanor
Caleb Becerra
Age: 20
Residential: Hammond, IN
Booking number(s): 2207928
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: RESISTING – INTERFERING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT DEF. USES A VEHICLE
Highest Offense Class: felony
Maggie Greeson
Age: 38
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207915
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: DEALING – COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: felony
Jenny Services
Age: 43
Residential: St Anne, IL
Booking number(s): 2207919
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: THEFT – PROPERTY – SHOPLIFTING – $750 TO $50,000
Highest Offense Class: felony
Charles Brown
Age: 34
Residential: Chicago, IL
Booking number(s): 2207952
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: BATTERY – AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: felony
Rachel Brooks
Age: 37
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207923
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: felony
Picasso Harris
Age: 42
Residential: Hammond, IN
Booking number(s): 2207914
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: CONFINEMENT
Highest Offense Class: felony
Steven Galloway
Age: 34
Residential: Gary, IN
Booking number(s): 2207962
Arrest date: Sept 7, 2022
Offense Description: RESISTING; OWI
Highest Offense Class: felony; misdemeanor
Robert Dykstra
Age: 58
Residential: Hobart, IN
Booking number(s): 2207920
Arrest date: Sept 6, 2022
Offense Description: HEALTH – LEGEND DRUG
Highest Offense Class: felony
Cameron Lemos
Age: 30
Residential: Hammond, IN
Booking number(s): 2207968
Arrest date: Sept 8, 2022
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: misdemeanor
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