Columbus father charged with murder months after infant dies
More than 8 months after an infant skull was fractured, her father was charged with murder in connection with the July 4 incident in Columbus.
Nijil Alston, 23, was charged with murder on Wednesday. He remains in the Muscogee County Jail for a 9 a.m. Friday hearing in Columbus Recorder's Court.
Alston was originally charged with first-degree child cruelty and aggravated battery in connection with the incident, but the charges were upgraded after a full autopsy report confirmed that she died from injuries sustained in the assault.
Columbus police were called to Piedmont Columbus Regional-Midtown Campus around 11:40 a.m. Tuesday to investigate the assault of 2-month-old Mariah Alston.
The newborn suffered from skull fractures, cracked ribs and torn ligaments. She also had bruising throughout her body, including her right eye, private parts and rear end.
She was transported to Egleston children’s hospital in Atlanta, where she was listed in critical condition with cranial pressure. Sgt. Wendy Holland said the baby wasn't able to roll over on her own or breathe properly.
Officials spoke to the victim’s family at the hospital. They reported that Alston was at Piedmont Columbus Regional-Midtown Campus before police arrived, but he left out of fear that he would be “accused of wrongdoing."
The mother said her daughter didn’t have any injuries when she left her with Alston on July 4, but Holland said it’s possible that the child’s ribs were fractured at an earlier date.
The family told police that Alston was alone with the child when she was critically injured at his house between 10 and 11 a.m. July 4 at his home in the 1100 block of Chalbena Avenue.
Police found Alston later that night around 8:35 p.m. and questioned him about the child’s injuries. He allegedly demonstrated the same account of the incident that he gave to the hospital staff.
“The defendant stated that the child rolled off the couch as he was trying to change her diaper,” Holland said. “He grabbed her and then held her to his chest. As he was holding her to his chest, she started to slip and she fell on his cast.”
The detective said Alston, who has a cast on his arm, told her he couldn’t recall whether she struck her head on the floor or table. Officials have yet to describe the incident that they believe led to the baby's injuries.
The father was taken into custody on July 4 and charged with first-degree child cruelty and aggravated battery in connection with this incident.
Four days later, the infant died at the Atlanta hospital. Columbus police waited for the results from the full autopsy report before upgrading the charges.
Sarah Robinson: 706-571-8622, @sarahR_92
This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Columbus father charged with murder months after infant dies."