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WHTM LEBANON PA -- A Lebanon man was charged with criminal homicide Wednesday in the death of his infant daughter. Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold said six-month-old Zariyah Mitchell was the victim of a pattern of abuse. He said she was defenseless. Zariyah died May 23rd and investigators say it was because of injuries her father caused. Twenty-year-old Kevin Mitchell arrived at court Wednesday morning in shackles, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit to face a homicide charge. Investigators have said the abuse happened May 21st in the apartment Mitchell shared with Zariyah and her mother. Two days later, the couple took the baby to the hospital. She was unresponsive. According to court documents, little Zariyah had: adult bites marks on her cheek, chin and back, a bruise on her cheek, healing breaks or tears on her skin, and hemorrhages in her eye. The baby's mother told police Mitchell did it. Police say Mitchell then admitted it and also said he engaged the baby in a "tug-of-war" with her mother. District Attorney Arnold explained, "He indicated that he was angry because the child was keeping him awake that night." Court documents state Mitchell told investigators, "I did not mean to take the first born child of the baby's mother and whatever goes on now, whatever you find on her, was done by me." Arnold called the charges "horrific," and noted he would pursue tough penalities. "Whatever the maximum penalty of the law will allow us to seek against Kevin Mitchell, we will be seeking that," said Arnold. "So if that includes the death penalty, we will most definintely seek that." Mitchell is charged with: criminal homicide, two counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering welfare of children. He is scheduled for a prelimary hearing on June 13th.
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