Four-year-old girl with Down syndrome 'beaten to death' by mother's boyfriend because she interrupted him
A Rancho Cucamonga man, Adam Hughes, has entered a not guilty plea in the death of his girlfriend's daughter, who had Down syndrome. According to a press release by the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, the 24-year-old was accused of assaulting four-year-old Kylee Willis when he was watching over his girlfriend's children on March 26. Apparently, when the little girl began interrupting him, he was angry and allegedly assaulted her. His girlfriend, Corrine Blake had left Hughes to babysit her children.
When Kylee began interrupting Hughes, he lost his temper and beat her pretty hard, after which he put her to bed, reports People. However, hours later he noticed that Kylee was unresponsive and her fingers and lips were turning blue. He called up Blake for help and she immediately called up 911 and explained the situation. Paramedics arrived soon and took the child to a local hospital where she remained on life support for several days and then passed away on March 29 of severe head trauma. Hughes and Blake were both arrested following the injury and were accused of willful cruelty to a child. Two days before her death, both Hughes and Blake were arrested on child abuse charges, but Hughes was later charged with murder after the girl died.
The child's father, Victor Willis, described her as a "happy little girl" who could "get anyone to smile just from her smile."
Victor also mentioned that his daughter would never act depressed or hurt during the time that they would spend together. "She was just full of joy, full of life, full of curiosity...and that was tragically taken from her," he said. Although he is upset with what happened and would want Blake and Hughes to be punished for their acts, he nevertheless chose to leave the decision to the law. He mentioned, "I'm no one to be judge, jury and executioner. I just kick myself for not knowing because then I could have protected her." Cindy Bachman, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department suggested the injuries on the child were intentional.
Another child at the home, an 18-month-old boy, was taken into custody by county Children and Family Services. As of now, Hughes has been held out of bail while Blake has been released with bail. According to her Facebook page, Blake works as a cashier and has four children: two boys and two girls. She and Hughes have been dating for two years and got engaged in May of last year.