Parker Man Indicted for Assault and Child Abuse on Baby
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 30, 2011 |
PHOENIX—A federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment today against Jerrod Darrell Aspa, 20, of Parker, Ariz., for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and child abuse.
The indictment alleges that Aspa, a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, was watching his 4-month-old son while the baby’s mother was at work. The baby would not stop crying, so he shook the child several times, causing irreversible brain damage. After shaking him, Aspa laid the child down and did not seek prompt medical treatment, thus allegedly exacerbating the brain damage.
Convictions for assault resulting in serious bodily injury of a child and child abuse carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Frederick J. Martone will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Dyanne C. Greer and Jennifer Green, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-11-01254-PHX-FJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2011-137(Aspa)