Police Searching For Man Accused In Infant's Death: Report

MILWAUKEE, WI — Milwaukee police are asking for the public's help to track down a 26-year-old Franklin man accused of injuring a 6-month-old baby, resulting in death and injuring the baby's 2-year-old sibling.

According to court documents, Devante M. Randall of Franklin has been charged with four felony child abuse counts, including one for first-degree reckless homicide.

If convicted, Randall faces more than 60 years behind bars if he is convicted of the maximum penalties against him.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, officers were called to the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin just before 9 p.m. on April 22 on a report of two children who suffered life-threatening injuries.

According to reports, the 2-year-old suffered extensive injuries including, multiple bruising on his head, neck, back and shoulder areas and broken bones on his left and right legs.

Medical professionals said in their report that the fractures were the result of bending and twisting of the 2-year-old's legs and that the injuries were between four to seven days old at the time the child was taken to the hospital. Experts also reported that the bruising was consistent with physical abuse.

The criminal complaint also stated that the six-month-old child died as a result of suffering significant brain injuries, after emergency medical doctors reported that the child suffered multiple and significant head injuries.

According to the criminal complaint, the mother left for work at 11 a.m. on April 22 and left her two children, 2, and 6 months old, with her boyfriend, Randall. Police noted that the mother said neither child showed any signs of visible injuries on their bodies.

Police said at 3 p.m., Randall sent a text message to the mother, saying he was going to visit family in Milwaukee with the children. According to the criminal complaint, Randall went in a panic to the mother's workplace at 6:30 p.m. and explained that something serious happened to her youngest child.

Randall and the mother drove the youngest child to Children's Hospital. The criminal complaint records that Randall told the mother that he attempted to save both children from an apparent shooting incident while he was visiting his family on the north side of Milwaukee. However when questioned by the the mother's father later in the evening, he could not identify the relative's name, nor could he provide an address.

According to the criminal complaint, the mother and her child went into the hospital, only to have Randall drive off. The 2-year-old child ended up being transported to Children's Hospital by the mother's father later that evening after the criminal complaint stated that Randall arranged for he and the mother's father to meet with the child.