Posted on 08/14/2018 4:45:15 PM PDT by Drew68
APPLE VALLEY, Minn. (WCCO) An Apple Valley man has been charged after inflicting harm upon his infant son, who later died of his injuries.
Police say Michael Herkal, 32, was taken into custody Sunday after responding to two 911 calls regarding the child. The first was placed by the infants mother, Herkals girlfriend, who was not in the home at the time of the assault. The second was placed by Herkal.
Upon arriving to the residence around 7:30 p.m., officers found Herkals 13-day-old son unresponsive on the living room floor.
The infant, Anthony Herkal, had begun to turn blue in the lips and purple in his extremities by the time emergency responders arrived. Because Anthony didnt appear to have a pulse, officers performed CPR and administered an AED. Officers also noticed bruising over many areas on Anthonys body.
Herkal initially told police his 2-year-old son pulled Anthony off the couch twice. After the first fall, Herkal said Anthony appeared to be fine. After the second fall, Herkal said Anthony was gurgling and began to change colors.
Herkal attempted to reach Anthonys mother, identified as JK, twice before calling 911. When she asked why he hadnt contacted the police yet, he told her he was trying to revive the child himself.
During questioning by investigators, Herkal changed his story.
Herkal said he was actually changing Anthonys diaper when the baby wouldnt stop kicking, so he squeezed him. He also said Anthony slipped out of his hands and fell onto a coffee table, causing the childs bruising.
After looking through Herkals phone for evidence, police found Google searches for someone threw a baby on the floor, baby breathing hard, noisy baby breathing: whats normal and whats not, among others.
Anthony was transported to Fairview Ridges Hospital and then transferred to Childrens Masonic Hospital because he couldnt breathe on his own. He was subsequently diagnosed with a diffused brain injury as a result of trauma coupled with a prolonged lack of oxygen. Anthony died Tuesday from his injuries.
Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said once his office receives autopsy results from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, additional charges relating to Anthonys death will be filed.
It is heartbreaking that the serious injuries suffered by this helpless infant have now led to his death, Backstrom said in a statement. On behalf of everyone involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case, I want to express our deepest sympathy to Anthony Herkals family.
Herkal is currently charged with first-degree assault and malicious punishment of a child.
Who says you can’t judge a book by it’s cover?
Going away for a while is right. Actually, he should receive the same punishment he gave to the innocent baby. Squeeze him really hard and throw him around until he turns blue and purple. Wouldn’t that be justice?
Someone should contact Chelsea Clinton and ask her how much our nation’s GDP will grow now that the mother doesn’t have to care for a newborn child and can get right to work on Monday.
Time is right for an eye for an eye.
you absolutely should judge a book by it’s cover. These people are kind enough to warn us away from them.
Poor kid. Mom should be sterilized immediately
Why on earth didn’t you post a warning NOT TO PROCEED beyond that point??? We didn’t need to see this scum..why post a picture?
Drug addiction is a terrible thing
Drug addict
Why do they call monsters like these “fathers”?
But first, KILL HIM!!!
Why doesn’t this piece of garbage pick on someone his own size.
Having been the mother of a newborn, you don't. You don't leave them at all.
I can't imagine she looks much better.
Omigosh, I hate that this piece of garbage was able to procreate BEFORE he ended up in prison. Just kill him.
Stick him in general pop and let him loose.
10 or more years ago, I’d say sure. But now general pop is full of those just like him.
Justice in this case, is death.
What irritates the shit out of me is that God loves him...wants him to be saved.
But I guess that gives us all hope.
I don’t know what I’m tying to say here.
“Time is right for an eye for an eye.”
That rule is actually ordained by God, and is very fair. I always thought it was full of vengence. I learned that in other religions/societies, the rules were more like “If you lose an eye because of another, the other gets put to death.” Or if someone steals from you - they get their hand cut off.
The “eye for an eye” is fair.
I don’t know Bible a whole bunch - but I imagine that rule is for intentional damage, and not for accidents. I doubt that this was an accident, what with the multiple bruises and history of beating his girlfriend.
Not understanding this kind of scum one iota, though people can be just plain stupid, I could hazard a guess that she felt desperate for someone in her life and this is all she could get ...
Devolution
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:28
I’ll go out on a limb here, but I think “drugs” MAY have been a factor in the lives of this couple.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.