New Port Richey Man Accused Of Shaking 1-Month-Old Baby To Death

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A 24-year-old New Port Richey man has been charged with murder after being accused of shaking a baby, causing the child's death.

Luis Angel Matos of Lake Magnolia Drive was arrested Wednesday following the death of his 1-month-old baby boy.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded the the home on Sept. 21 and found the 45-day-old infant in his crib, unresponsive and bleeding from his nose.

Pasco County Fire Rescue arrived and pronounced the baby dead at 4:07 a.m.

A consulting doctor with the sheriff's Child Protection Team concluded that the infant suffered "abusive head trauma leading to death" that is usually caused by "violent shaking, with or without slamming of the head down on a mattress or other soft surface."

Deputies said Matos was responsible for the baby's care from 8 p.m. Sept. 20 to 3:46 a.m. Sept. 21. When interviewed, Matos told detectives that the baby pooped on him, so he picked the infant up and shook the baby for about 10 seconds. He demonstrated how he held the infant in front of him and pressed his thumbs into the baby's chest while shaking him.

He told detectives that he then placed the baby back in his crib and the baby fell asleep. About an hour later, he said the baby began making vomiting sounds and breathing sporadically. He could see the baby in his crib from his bed but didn't check on him because he said he knew the baby's erratic breathing was due to Matos shaking him.

When Matos woke at 3:46 a.m., he said the baby wasn't breathing and was cold to the touch.

Matos said he awoke his wife and she called 911. While she was on the phone, he attempted CPR on the baby. He then went into the bathroom to comb his hair before paramedics arrived.