(Lawrenceburg, IN) – A Lawrenceburg man is being held without bond in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s daughter.
25-year-old Jesse A. Sartin is charged with Murder and Aggravated Battery Resulting in Death (Level 1 felony) for allegedly shaking the 21-month-old girl.
At an initial hearing Monday afternoon in Dearborn Circuit Court, Judge Aaron Negangard also ordered Sartin to not have any contact with the victim’s mother.
The judge based his decisions on Sartin’s criminal history, probation violations, high probabilty of reoffending. presenting a danger to the community, and overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution.
Sartin was arrested Friday and booked into the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center after the girl passed away the day before.
According to Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens, Lawrenceburg Police officers were called on July 24 to St. Elizabeth Dearborn Hospital to investigate the little girl’s suspicious head injuries.
Deddens says hospital staff members were told the girl was injured in an accident.
An investigation determined that Sartin allegedly shook the toddler for about 20 seconds.
Investigators say the child was in Sartin’s care while her mother was at work.
The girl was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where emergency surgery was performed to relieve brain swelling and pressure on her skull.
She passed away on Thursday.
Sartin is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing in October, with a jury trial set for November 18 at 8 a.m. in Dearborn Circuit Court.
If he’s convicted on the Murder count, Sartin could be sentenced to anywhere from 45 to 65 years in prison, and could get between 20 and 40 years if found guilty of the Aggravated Battery charge.
