Marine arrested in baby son's death

By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer
3 minutes ago

FRESNO, Calif. - A young Marine who was called back from a mission to Iraq to be with his ailing wife just before she died of childbirth complications was arrested on suspicion of murdering his newborn son.

Authorities did not disclose a motive for the slaying, but the Marine, 20-year-old Robert Quiroz, told a TV station in September that he felt overwhelmed as a single parent of two and struggled to accept his son.

"I didn't know how to feel about him. The same day he was born, my wife died," he told KMPH in Fresno. "The feelings inside of me, I kind of wanted to push him away, but he's my son. My wife gave him to me."

Quiroz was jailed on Monday. Investigators said his son died of beating injuries, but they would not elaborate. Authorities planned to file charges Wednesday.

After the infant's death on Saturday, authorities took Quiroz's 18-month-old daughter into protective custody.

In August, Quiroz deployed to a training camp in Kuwait with the Ninth Communication Battalion from Camp Pendleton. He was called home three days later with the news that his wife had given birth to a boy, but had suffered an aneurysm after breast feeding the child.

Quiroz arrived in Fresno faced with ending her life support and assuming sole responsibility for their two children.

"This is an absolute tragedy," Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. "When you consider the fact that we have a 3-month-old child that has been murdered, it takes a toll."

Quiroz's Web page on MySpace.com, posted under the screen name "IMISSHER," appears to have been an outlet for his loss >>>cont

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