A couple was arrested after their 4-month-old was found dead in their Las Vegas, Nevada home. A witness told police the couple dug a grave in their backyard a week after the boy’s death, an arrest report said.
Miles Stano Jr. and Lindsey Bello were arrested April 28 in connection with the death of 4-month-old Miles Stano III on April 1.
Police were called April 1 around 12:45 p.m., with the caller saying an infant was found cold and not breathing. The mother, Bello, reportedly put baby down for a nap at 6 a.m. and checked in on him at 10 a.m., and he was reportedly breathing, and then found not breathing at 12:40 p.m., the arrest report said.
The Clark County Coroner observed multiple bruises and abrasions on the baby and described the child as “emaciated,” the report said. The child also had two skull fractures. The boy’s death was ruled a homicide from blunt force trauma, the report said.
Bello said she was in a relationship with the father Stano Jr. for about a year. She told police she believes she was “exposed” to methamphetamine and cocaine while pregnant after being drugged but described the baby as otherwise fine since coming home from the hospital.
When Bello was told of the injuries to the baby, she said she didn’t know how the child got the injuries, the report said. Bello reportedly asked Stano Jr. about the injuries but he didn’t know where they came from either. Bello said she never observed Stano Jr. being rough with the baby and Stano Jr. said the same about Bello, the report said.
Police found the boy’s mattress pad in the dumpster along with a wipe with blood on it and a blanket with blood on it, the report said. A witness later told police that Bello said she gave Stano Jr. “permission” to throw the child against a wall, the report said. This same witness also saw a grave dug in the couple’s backyard on April 7, stating they thought the baby’s death was planned and they were going to bury him, the report said.
During a polygraph exam on April 2, Bello told police that Stano Jr. killed the baby, but that she “couldn’t imagine” he harmed him, the report said. When Stano Jr. did a polygraph, police said he became belligerent, incessantly chanting “I did not hurt my son” and rocking back and forth, the report said.
A witness told police they overheard Bello saying Stano Jr. killed the baby and she was taking the blame so he could raise his other children, the report said. Other witnesses said they heard Bello say she had killed the baby.
The couple was arrested April 28. Stano Jr. reportedly screamed and said he didn’t harm his son and that Bello had lied to him about how his son died, the report said. Bello “appeared calm and jovial” before she was interviewed by police, the arrest report said, and wasn’t upset when she was arrested until she realized Stano Jr. was also arrested, police said.
The couple was not granted bail in a court hearing on May 3, court records show. Their next hearing was set for May 10.
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