Charges against Belleville man upgraded to murder after his 3-month old baby dies
The death of a 3-month-old baby has led to upgraded charges against a Belleville man.
Caleb E. Manwell, 20, initially faced two counts of aggravated battery when he allegedly sent the the child to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis with serious injuries. The baby has since died which led to a new charge of murder, St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Allen confirmed Friday.
Manwell is the baby’s father. Allen would not confirm when the child died.
St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched May 9 to Memorial Hospital in Belleville on in reference to a child abuse investigation.
Assisted by the Child Death Investigation Task Force, the deputies began investigating the circumstance of the child’s injuries. The Child Death investigation team included investigators from the Department of Children and Family Services, Illinois State Police and local investigators from O’Fallon and St. Clair County, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department.
The investigation determined that Manwell was the last person with the baby before the baby was injured. Manwell was arrested.
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 3:30 PM.