Mt. Lebanon man charged with killing 4-month-old daughter
A Mt. Lebanon man has been charged in the death of his 4-month-old daughter after Allegheny County police said she suffered extensive injuries Nov. 12 while in her father’s care.
Victoria Gazzam died of trauma to her head and body after she was found unresponsive at her 587 Osage Road residence.
Her father, Joseph George Gazzam, 30, was arrested Nov. 13 and is being held without bond at the Allegheny County Jail on charges of homicide, child endangerment and reckless endangerment, according to court documents filed at Pittsburgh Municipal Court.
Mt. Lebanon police were called to Gazzam’s home about 12:30 p.m. Nov. 12 after he told emergency dispatchers Victoria was unresponsive and not breathing, court records indicate. She was then taken by ambulance to St. Clair Hospital, where she was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Doctors said Victoria had a broken left arm and bruising around her body.
Gazzam told investigators he was sleeping in the bed with Victoria in an attic apartment while the girl’s mother, Kayla Walter, was at work. Gazzam said when he awoke, he found Victoria face down on the floor after she apparently fell out of bed, which was about two feet off the floor.
Mt. Lebanon police Chief Aaron Lauth said when township officers arrived, they attempted to resuscitate the girl before paramedics transported her to the hospital. Lauth said “it wasn’t obvious” how the injuries occurred.
“In our initial response, it wasn’t extremely evident of the (severity of) injuries,” Lauth said.
However, an autopsy revealed the infant had multiple injuries, including three broken ribs, bleeding on her brain, cuts to a heart vessel and kidney, a contusion to her liver and multiple bruises on her back and head, according to court documents. Investigators with the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office told police those severe injuries could not have been caused by a fall from the bed.
Gazzam later allegedly admitted to punching Victoria multiple times in the head, stomach and back while on the bed when she became “fussy” and wouldn’t fall asleep, according to court documents.
Lauth said the situation surrounding the young girl’s death is hard to put into words.
“It’s obviously a very traumatic situation for everyone involved and our hearts go out to the family,” Lauth said.
Gazzam was arraigned in Pittsburgh Municipal Court Nov. 13 and taken to jail where he is awaiting a Nov. 17 preliminary hearing before Judge Jeffrey Manning.
Allegheny County police declined to comment on the case. Lauth said Mt. Lebanon police are assisting Allegheny County detectives with the investigation.