A Washington state couple is facing serious charges after their infant son’s death sparked a disturbing investigation into what happened in the child’s final days.
According to the New York Post, authorities allege that Alyssa Jade Vanderbeck, 19, and Mark Anthony Labaco Clamor, 21, are responsible for the death of their 7-week-old baby earlier this month.
Both have been charged with second-degree murder, while Clamor faces an additional charge related to homicide by abuse, court records reported by PEOPLE state.
Investigators say the couple delayed calling for help after their child became unresponsive on March 4. Roughly an hour passed before Clamor contacted emergency services, telling a dispatcher that the infant was not breathing, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The baby was transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in critical condition. Medical staff documented severe injuries, including “subdural hemorrhages, anoxic brain injury, retinal hemorrhages, and possible healing rib fractures,” the affidavit states.
Doctors quickly determined the child — identified in court records as “N.C.” — was not expected to survive.
By the time law enforcement arrived at the hospital the following day to investigate possible abuse, the parents had already left, authorities said.
When they later returned, an officer noted their demeanor appeared “unusual considering the gravity of the suspected offense and the condition their child was in,” according to the filing.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered a social media video posted by Vanderbeck that drew further scrutiny. The clip allegedly showed her “slowly dancing in the bathroom of N.C.’s hospital room” to upbeat music while the infant was hospitalized.
The child died on March 9, five days after being admitted. An autopsy later ruled the preliminary cause of death as homicide due to abusive head trauma.
According to investigators, Clamor told officers with the Lakewood Police Department that he had handled the baby roughly after the child became “fussy,” saying the infant’s head moved back “pretty hard.”
Authorities also allege that Vanderbeck recorded videos of the child in distress and sent them to family members while seeking advice.
Both parents are being held on a $1 million bond as the case moves forward.
