Babysitter, 19, charged with killing St. Paul infant who suffered brain injuries

A 19-year-old St. Paul woman was charged Tuesday with murder for allegedly inflicting fatal traumatic brain injuries on a 5-month-old she was babysitting.

Tyanna J. Graham was charged in Ramsey County District Court with one count of second-degree murder without intent in the Jan. 29 death of the boy, who suffered bleeding in the brain and eyes, bleeding and bruising of the lower left lung and a cut and bruising in the mouth.

According to the complaint: St. Paul police were called about 1:31 a.m. on Jan. 28 to Graham's apartment in the 2200 block of 7th Street W. on a report of a baby who was not breathing. Medics transported the boy to Children's Hospital, where doctors determined that his injuries were intentionally inflicted and had left him with multiple areas of bleeding in the brain.

"The treating doctor believed that the baby had likely been unresponsive for quite a while," the complaint said. "The child's eyes were dilated and fixed and he was completely unresponsive."

A doctor at the Midwest Children's Resource Center determined that the boy probably suffered a blow to the head that likely would have incapacitated him, and that he also suffered trauma to his abdomen.

The infant died the day after police were called to Graham's apartment.

Graham told police that she had been caring for the baby since Jan. 26 because his mother was working in Wisconsin. She allegedly told police that the baby fell from a couch on Jan. 27 between 4 and 5 p.m., and that he cried but seemed fine.

Graham allegedly said that just before she called 911, the baby started to cry and breathe with difficulty, and that a mix of blood and formula was expelled from his nose.

Graham also provided "multiple inconsistent accounts" of what led up to the infant's injuries and death, according to the complaint. She told police that the baby fell from a couch, that she was carrying him when she tripped on a ball and dropped him, and that she picked him up and "blacked out."

"She said that she might have done something bad to him when she was in the blackout," the complaint said. "She said that she probably did shake him, for three to five seconds. She admitted that she was frustrated that she was stuck watching [the baby] when she wanted to go out."

Graham then told police she did not trip and drop the boy, but rather picked him up from the bed and accidentally dropped him, causing him to hit his head on something, according to the complaint.

"She changed her story again and said that she was mad that [the baby] was crying," the complaint said. "She said that she 'blacked out' for about two minutes and when she came to, [the baby] was on the floor."

Police discovered that Graham had allegedly texted someone about 11:54 p.m. on Jan. 27 to complain about the baby.

"I'm getting irritated my baby keeps waking up," she allegedly texted. "He being a big … cry baby … I am been dealing with ts all day I just closed the door but I still hear him and it's irritating me I never let him cry."

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708

Twitter: @ChaoStrib