ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A man has been charged with murder after a 3-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries while in his care.
St. Louis County police and first responders were called last Thursday afternoon to a home in the 11400 block of Latonka Trail for a report of a child not breathing. They started life-saving measures on 3-year-old Eli Taylor as soon as they arrived, police stated in charging documents.
While performing CPR, emergency crews noticed some of Eli’s ribs were broken and he had bruises on his body.
The boy was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be abdominal trauma, St. Louis County police said.
A police investigation determined Eli was in the home with three other children and one adult – 21-year-old Tevin Branom – when he suffered the fatal injuries.
Branom had a history of abuse allegations, police said, which previously led to the children being removed from the home for about 18 months. Eli and his siblings were brought back to the home about one month before his death.
Police detectives said Branom was “unable to provide detectives with a precipitating event which caused these injuries to the victim.”
He’s being charged with second-degree murder and abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death. Branom is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond, and 10% is not allowed.
The three other children who lived in the home were taken into protective custody, police said.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
