VIDEO: Muddy 17 Year Old Rapes, Murders 8 Month Old Boy (Arnold T. Ross) West Bank , New Orleans, LA

Here’s a sickening story out of New Orleans; a 17 year old teen was arrested for the rape and murder of an 8 month old infant in Jefferson Parish. 17 year old Arnold T. Ross was arrested when neighbors heard loud noises coming from the house where he was babysitting the infant that he raped and murdered.

Arnold T. Ross, who had previously been arrested for possession of crack cocaine, marijuana, obscenity, battery against a correctional officer, three counts of battery on a teacher, three counts of theft, assault and illegal carrying of a weapon. My one and only question is why in God’s name was Arnold T. Ross left to babysit anyone, let alone an 8 month old infant?

The infant, named Da-Von Lonzo, was taken to the hospital in Terrytown, Louisiana where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving there. The Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s office had initially deemed the death as unclassified. That is until an autopsy revealed that the infant had been raped and murdered.

The autopsy showed multiple fractures consistent with a beating and the infant’s anus had been torn. Arnold T. Ross, at first told officers that the child had fallen down the steps, but later confessed to beating the infant when he would not stop crying. He said it’s anus was torn when he tried to “clean it up”.

The mother of the infant is the girlfriend of Arnold T. Ross, and for some unknown reason trusted him enough to leave the child with him. This terrible case speaks to the weaknesses in our justice system at times; Arnold T. Ross, with his long record at only 17 years of age, should have been in a correctional facility; not babysitting for anyone.

Death penalty folks, that is the only punishment that is deserved by this monster named Arnold T. Ross. How could you possibly argue against it when you hear of the rape and murder of a helpless 8 month old child left in the care of someone unable to adequately care for himself?

You can argue about home life, you can argue about circumstances, you can argue about his youth; but Arnold T. Ross was old enough and smart enough to know that the rape and murder of an 8 month old infant was wrong. He deserves the maximum punishment under the law.

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A 17-year-old Terrytown man was arrested on charges of aggravated rape and first-degree murder of an 8-month-old child Saturday afternoon, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Arnold T. Ross, of 136 Friedrichs Road in Terrytown, was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Facility. No bond is available on the first-degree murder charge.

Ross was arrested after officers responded to a call of an unresponsive infant at 1656 Gary Court, Apt. B, near Gretna.

The infant, Da-Von Lonzo, was taken to Ochsner Westbank where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, according to a release issued by Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

The death was initially unclassified, but the Jefferson Parish coroner's office later reported it as a homicide after an autopsy of the child's body revealed multiple fractures consistent with a beating and tears in the anus.

Ross, who said he was the boyfriend of the infant's mother, initially told detectives that the baby fell down the stairs while he was babysitting, Fortunato said. But a neighbor reported hearing loud noises coming from the apartment, and investigators noted inconsistencies in Ross's account.

Ross later admitted that he beat the infant repeatedly when he would not stop crying, Fortunato said. When the child began to defecate on himself, Ross said he tried to clean it up, causing the tears, according to the release.

Ross has a record of previous arrests for possession of crack cocaine and marijuana, obscenity, battery on a correctional officer, three counts of battery on a teacher, three counts of theft, illegal carrying of a weapon and assault.