Upgraded murder charges against parents in case of premature baby who died with 96 fractures
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Jason Robin Jr. and Katharine White have been indicted on upgraded charges in the death of their daughter, Jazmine Rose Robin.
Robin was initially charged with murder, but now faces a capital murder charge. White is charged with felony murder, upgraded from an injury to a child by omission charge.
White and Robin were once engaged to each other.
According to court documents, Jazmine was born premature at just 29 weeks. She spent several weeks in the hospital before being released to the parents on July 3, 2018 as a healthy baby.
But on July 14, the baby was brought to Pearland Memorial Hermann Hospital with "clearly inflicted head trauma."
Investigators who spoke to Robin and White at the hospital wrote in court documents that the parents described various situations where the baby wouldn't take a bottle or acted weird.
About a week before her death, the parents said they had to give the baby CPR because she stopped breathing.
Court documents show once the baby regained consciousness, the parents did not take the baby to the hospital.
A man who lived in the same house as the parents told investigators that he told Robin, the dad, he needed to take the baby to the hospital but that he had refused.
A pediatrician who had seen the baby days prior to her death told investigators she advised the parents to take the child to the hospital, but that they showed "no interest."
On May 23, the final autopsy was delivered to investigators. That report indicated baby Jazmine had a skull fracture, nine contusions to her torso, broken ribs and various traumas to her arms and legs.
In summary, the autopsy showed that baby Jazmine had 96 total fractures, including 71 rib fractures and 23 long bone fractures.
"It makes my heart break," said Jazmine's great-grandmother, who added that she never had a chance to meet the girl before she died.
Since the baby's death, the couple's older son has been placed in foster care. Katharine White also gave birth to another girl since Jazmine's death. That baby is now with Robin's parents.
In a statement to ABC13 Eyewitness News, Myka and and Jason Robin wrote:
"I really don't know what to say except we told them they were toxic for each other, we tried to get them to split up. They both had violent tempers but we never imagined this would happen. We lost a beautiful, strong angel who fought so hard to come home. We also lost a grandson to the system. I'm so very glad we got my granddaughter, Jai'cee who is loved and cherished everyday."
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