TACOMA — A Forks baby who was airlifted to a Tacoma hospital after she was assaulted early Thursday has died, Port Angeles police said.
Faye River Raven Yates, who was less than 7 weeks old, died Sunday at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Deputy Chief of Police Jason Viada said.
Her father, Izaiah Jamal Calloway, 20, of Forks was arrested Thursday on investigation of first-degree assault with domestic violence for allegedly squeezing the crying infant and throwing her against a chair.
Calloway is being held in the Clallam County jail on $750,000 bail.
“I anticipate that the charges against Mr. Calloway will be upgraded to murder at his next court date,” Viada said Monday.
The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is expected to charge Calloway at 1 p.m. today.
Calloway allegedly confessed to the assault in an interview with Tacoma police, court papers said.
Port Angeles police were assisting in the investigation as part of a major incident response team.
Calloway said he woke to feed Yates at about 1 a.m. Thursday and became frustrated because the baby would not stop crying.
Calloway told investigators he slapped the baby, pinched her nose and held her under the armpits and squeezed, according to the affidavit for probable cause.
According to Tacoma police, Calloway said he threw the baby about 3 feet into a chair that had exposed wood paneling.
“Izaiah said that when he threw (the baby) into the chair, her head struck the exposed wood paneling on the chair,” police said in court papers.
“Izaiah said he heard the head strike the wood.”
Calloway said the baby turned white as he and a neighbor attempted CPR on the infant.
The baby was rushed to Forks Community Hospital, where her heartbeat was revived.
She was airlifted Thursday to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
Viada said the baby’s survival was “minute by minute” on Friday.
He described the baby’s death as “tragic news.”
Yates was born Feb. 3. She was 48 days old when she died.
Her body will be escorted by law enforcement from Tacoma to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office in Seattle, Viada said.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at [email protected].
