In Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, two individuals have been charged with murder following the tragic death of a four-month-old baby named Ioni Souders. The infant's mother, 20-year-old Layla Souders, and her boyfriend, 24-year-old Jose Melendez Pedilla, face serious charges in connection with the incident.
According to WGAL, the baby was found unresponsive on the floor of a bedroom in an apartment on the 3200 block of Wakefield Road in Susquehanna Township. Melendez Pedilla, who was alone with the child at the time, initially called for emergency assistance, claiming the baby had a seizure and stopped breathing while he was feeding her.
Upon arrival, police and medical staff discovered that the child had suffered a compound fracture of her right femur and other traumatic injuries. The baby was pronounced dead at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, and her death was ruled a homicide. PennLive reports that Layla Souders later informed police that Melendez Pedilla had been physically abusive to the baby since February, including hitting her in the head and punching her thigh.
Melendez Pedilla is charged with first-degree murder, child endangerment, and other offenses, while Souders faces charges of third-degree murder and child endangerment. Both are being held at Dauphin County Prison, with Melendez Pedilla denied bail as he is considered a threat to society. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for April 10.
In addition to the murder charges, Melendez Pedilla faces a forgery charge after police discovered he had been using fake identification to gain employment. His legitimate visa expired in January.