LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- The State Attorney's Office has formally charged a Fort Myers man with a Second Degree Murder charge after they say an 8-month-old child died in his care last month.
According to the State Attorney's office, 27-year-old Rafael Carrion, Jr. was charged Wednesday with one count of Second Degree Murder, a Punishable by Life Felony; as well as one count each of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Aggravated Child Abuse. Both are First Degree Felonies.
On November 24th, 2016, deputies responded to a home on North Galaxy Drive for a call of a child not breathing. First responders tried to save 8-month-old Julian Valdez, but he was pronounced dead at Gulf Coast Hospital.
Carrion was arrested and taken to Lee County Jail.
An autopsy concluded Julian suffered major head trauma consistent with a violent beating.
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Carrion will be arraigned on December 27th.
