
Fort Wayne, Indiana: 27-year-old Shaquille Rowe is once more in custody over the death of 17-month-old Aiden Mishawn Clark after initially bonding out on lesser charges.
On Monday May 17, 2021 emergency responders were dispatched at an apartment on a call for a child that was reported to not be breathing at approximately 12:30 pm.
Rowe was heard by the dispatcher asking, "Why did she leave me in the house like this?"
According to the affidavit for probable cause obtained by WPTA, Rowe told the dispatcher that he had been in the shower when he heard crying. He got out and found Aiden not breathing with his twin standing near him crying. He stated that he had started "to give breaths and CPR."
Emergency medical services arrived and found Rowe administering CPR and immediately took over treatment while transporting him to Lutheran Hospital for emergency care. Emergency personnel "advised that they had noticed bruising around his neck and chest and they believed it could be related to some type of abuse."
At the hospital Aiden was determined to be deceased.
At a later interview with investigators Rowe told them that the mother of the children, Jasmine Clark left that morning with her cousin. He stated that he had played a video game until the battery in the controller began to die and then watched a movie before getting in the shower. That was when he heard crying.
Jasmine arrived at the scene and advised officers that she had left the apartment at approximately 10:45 that morning but wished to go to the hospital with her son and did not speak to investigators further at that time.
The following day an autopsy was conducted on Aiden with shocking results.
Dr. Wagner found that he had "died from blunt force trauma to his chest and ruled his death a homicide." Included in his injuries was a fractured sternum, torn pericardium sac as well as a lacerated spleen and hemorrhaging around the left kidney and pancreas.
"Dr. Wagner stated that [Aiden's] heart was ripped in half" and that as a result of the injuries he had sustained, "likely died in 2-5 minutes after suffering his injuries."
Rowe was initially arrested and charged with battery of a minor causing death and neglect of a dependent resulting in death.
Early Thursday, May 20, Rowe posted $50,000 bond and was released from the Allen County Jail. Later that same afternoon however, Rowe was back in custody, this time charged with murder and aggravated battery in addition to the previous charges.
According to court records Rowe made his initial appearance in court on Monday and his hearing has been scheduled for June 9 at 1:30 pm. Rowe is being represented by attorney Jeffrey Allen Steinburg and the prosecution is being led by attorney Karen Elizabeth Richards.
Filed the same day as the murder charge is another misdemeanor charge for resisting arrest. An attorney conference on that charge has been scheduled for June 11 at 8:30 am. A public defender has not yet been assigned to the case.