Metro arrests 2 people in 2014 baby death
Metro on Thursday arrested a man and a woman in connection with the December death of a 4-month-old baby.
The baby, identified by the Clark County coroner's office as Aralee Jo Ballance, and her family were the subject of an earlier abuse allegation reported the day she was born. Family Services said the allegation was unsubstantiated and the case was closed.
Four months and 27 days later, Aralee died of "complications of non-accidental injury," the coroner's office said in July.
Jurissa A. Ballance, 20, and Jonathan Vining, 23, face one count each of first-degree murder and two counts each of child abuse or neglect, according to Clark County Detention Center logs.
Metro alleges that around Dec. 12, Aralee was shaken and/or struck directly or against an object, causing brain bleeds, according to a Las Vegas Justice Court criminal complaint. The pair failed to "seek prompt medical attention" resulting in the infant's death.
One of the child abuse counts on the complaint explains that 4-month-old "A.B" suffered "unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering." The other count explains that Aralee was injured in a non-accident form striking her or against something causing multiple rib fractures.
The child death investigation was initiated on Dec. 14 in the 6100 block of Stanley Park Avenue, Metro announced in a release Friday afternoon. Police had been called about an unresponsive child.
Aralee was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in critical condition. She was in the hospital for two weeks before she died, according to the department of family services.
Her death was ruled a homicide, the coroner said.
Ballance and Vining were booked into the Clark County Detention Center about 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Both are being held without bail, logs show.
Las Vegas police on Friday did not disclose the relationship between Ballance, Vining and Aralee.
The Ballance family could not be reached for comment.
Contact Ricardo Torres at rtorres@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find him on Twitter: @rickytwrites. Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber.
