A 21-year-old Taupo man has been arrested and charged with the murder of a five-week-old boy, who died in Auckland's Starship Hospital on Saturday.
Jayrhis Ian Te Koha Lock-Tata was admitted to Taupo Hospital with head injuries on March 5, then transferred to Starship.
The arrested man, who is unemployed, will appear in the Taupo District Court tomorrow charged with murder, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said.
He said he wanted to "acknowledge the cooperation and assistance of Jayrhis's extended family".
A post mortem examination on Wednesday found Jayrhis died as a result of non-accidental head injuries suffered before being admitted to Taupo Hospital.
A relative of the boy's mother told the New Zealand Herald how she found the baby gasping for air in his cot.
She said she went into the child's bedroom to check on him about 10.30am on March 5 and saw he was struggling to breathe.
She took him from his cot and phoned an ambulance.
She said his mother, Shannel Tata was devastated.
Ms Tata was believed to have two other young children, a boy and a girl.
- NZPA
Man charged with murder of five-week-old boy
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
