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5-Month-Old Girl Allegedly Abused By Father Dies

COON RAPIDS, Minn. (WCCO) -- The 5-month-old girl allegedly abused by her 25-year-old Coon Rapids father has died.

The Anoka County Sheriff's Department said the child died at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, after suffering traumatic brain injury.

Joshua Allen Vanhoutan had been charged with first-degree assault and two counts of malicious punishment of a child. With the child's death, officials say the charges will be re-visited by the Anoka County Attorney's Office.

According to the criminal complaint, Vanhoutan called the child's mother while she was at work the morning of May 11 and told her something was wrong. He said their child was unresponsive and her arms were frail.

The child was taken to Mercy Hospital and then transferred to Minneapolis Children's Hospital. Police were contacted after it was discovered that the child had retinal hemorrhaging and bleeding on the brain, which they suspected was due to being shaken.

Vanhoutan admitted to investigators that he had been playing with the child and her twin in the living room that morning when one of them started fussing. He told police he shook her because she would not calm down.

He told police he didn't call a doctor when his daughter became unresponsive because he couldn't afford to miss work.

Vanhoutan remains in custody at the Anoka County Jail.

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