Man arrested in Central Kentucky city wanted in Louisiana shaken baby syndrome death
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Louisiana man Benjamin Baquet arrested in Georgetown on second-degree murder warrant
- Authorities say 2017 shaken-infant injuries later led doctors to rule death a homicide
- Baquet admitted shaking the infant, posted bond in 2017 and was found in Kentucky
A wanted Louisiana man who is allegedly responsible for the death of a child was recently arrested in Central Kentucky, according to court records.
Benjamin Baquet, 30, was wanted on a warrant for second-degree murder out of St. Landry Parish, La., after being indicted Nov. 24, according to St. Landry Parish District Attorney Chad Pitre. Thursday, he was arrested in Georgetown and booked into the Scott County Detention Center.
In 2017, Baquet was charged with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile after he allegedly shook a 7-week-old baby. A physician told the officials with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services the infant suffered shaken baby syndrome, bleeding on the brain, a broken right clavicle, bruises, respiratory arrest, diffuse cerebral hemorrhages and nonaccidental trauma, according to a 2017 news release from the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Maj. Mark LeBlanc, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said the child remained under intense medical care since the 2017 incident, but died recently.
“The child suffered horrendous brain injuries, and suffered from that horribly for the last few years,” LeBlanc said.
Baquet admitted to shaking the baby, according to the sheriff’s office. He was initially arrested and released on bond shortly after the incident, and the case had been ongoing, LeBlanc said.
Doctors ruled the child’s death as a homicide, according to Pitre. The cruelty to a juvenile charge was upgraded to second-degree murder after the child’s death.
The nature of Baquet’s relationship with the child, who was not identified, is unclear.
LeBlanc said Baquet’s arrest warrant was entered into a national database, so law enforcement agencies across the country could be aware of the warrant. Baquet has connections to Louisiana and Texas, but it’s unknown why he was in Kentucky.
Baquet had a driver’s license and license plate from Texas when he was arrested, according to court documents. His arrest citation says he is not a resident of the Bluegrass State.
He remains lodged at the Scott County Detention Center and scheduled to appear in Scott District Court for an arraignment Tuesday, according to court records. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
