Statements made by the victim’s father, 22-year-old Ashton Vanzant of Redding, were found to be inconsistent with the injuries sustained.
Vanzant was interviewed by investigators and initially provided a statement saying he had accidentally dropped the victim onto a piece of furniture and she suffered head injuries. Investigators located suspicious internet searches on Vanzant’s cellular phone which contradicted his statement. Investigators learned Vanzant had searched for information regarding shaken baby syndrome, and jail sentences for shaken baby offenders. These searches were conducted shortly after the time period when the victim sustained her injuries. When asked about the suspicious searches and the other inconsistencies in his story, Vanzant confessed having shaken the victim out of frustration.
Vanzant said the three-month-old girl would not stop crying so he shook her in an effort to silence her. He described the shaking as “aggressive” and said he used a significant amount of force when shaking the child. The victim had what appeared to be a seizure and Vanzant realized she was injured.
Vanzant transported the victim to Mercy Medical Center and provided medical staff with a false story regarding the injuries. The victim was examined at Mercy Medical Center and later at Shasta Community Health. Signs and symptoms of shaken baby syndrome were observed and scans confirmed victim was suffering from a brain bleed.
At the time of this press release, the victim was reported to be in stable condition.
