19-year-old dad slaps baby six times while mom is out, then boy dies, AZ cops say
A 6-week-old boy died hours after police said he was slapped in the face six times by his dad.
Authorities got a call at about 8:35 p.m. July 28 about a child who was not breathing, the Mesa Police Department said in a probable cause statement.
The mom told authorities she left the home about an hour prior to go to the grocery store with family members, police said.
She left her baby alone in the home with the child’s father, 19-year-old Arnold Barney, police said. When she returned, her baby was bruised and breathing abnormally, police said.
Police said they found the young child with bruising on his cheek and swelling to the “soft spot” of his head.
Barney initially told police he slapped the child twice because the baby wouldn’t stop crying despite giving him a diaper change and a bottle, authorities said in the document.
He changed his statement and said he actually slapped his son six times on the face, police said.
After slapping him, he told police he swaddled the baby and left him with a bottle while he went back to the living room couch, authorities said.
The child was taken to a hospital, where he died several hours later.
“Arnold expressed regret for his actions and understood that they were wrong,” police said in the probable cause statement.
He was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.
His bail was set at $1 million, and his next court hearing is Aug. 5.
Mesa is in the Phoenix metro area.
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 1:43 PM with the headline "19-year-old dad slaps baby six times while mom is out, then boy dies, AZ cops say."
