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DCFS: Dead Prospect Hts. infant's father abused boy

As they continue to investigate the death of a 1-month-old Prospect Heights girl, state child welfare officials say they have evidence that the baby's father abused her young relative.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services closed a separate investigation this week into abuse claims against the father. Prospect Height police said in May the father struck the 9-year-old son of his live-in girlfriend.

He and his girlfriend are the parents of 1-month-old Annabella Cochrane, who was pronounced dead July 10 in her home in the Willow Heights Condominiums.

Annabella's autopsy showed no signs of trauma, Prospect Heights Police Chief Jamie Dunne said, and police do not suspect foul play in her death. No criminal charges are expected, pending the results of toxicology tests, he said.

Meanwhile, the allegations of abuse of the boy emerged in May, about a month before Annabella Cochrane was born, DCFS spokeswoman Veronica Resa said Thursday.

A misdemeanor domestic battery charge against the father was dropped when a witness failed to show up in court May 29, a Cook County state's attorney's office spokeswoman said.

Prosecutors have 160 days to reinstate charges.

Still, DCFS continued to investigate and issued an "indicated report" July 13, Resa said - meaning they found credible evidence that the father abused the boy.

The ruling can be accessed by schools, day care facilities and employers for five years, Resa said.

The boy has been placed in protective custody with relatives through a DCFS-monitored safety plan, Resa said.

Despite police saying they don't expect criminal charges in the death of Annabella, DCFS is investigating whether she died as a result of parental abuse and neglect, Resa said.

Yet another complaint, filed in June, against the parents, was "unfounded," Resa said.

No other children lived in the home, police said.

"We were aware of the other incident, and that was one of the reasons we investigated (Annabella's death) to the length we did," Dunne said.

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