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Peoria Heights man charged with murder in child's death

Posted December 06, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - A central Illinois man has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery in the October death of a 16-month-old boy.

Police on Tuesday arrested 34-year-old Joshua A. Rutledge of Peoria Heights. He is held in the Peoria County jail on $1 million bond. The (Peoria) Journal Star reports Peoria Heights police responded to a 911 call about an infant who fell off the bed at Rutledge's home Oct. 16.

According to police reports Rutledge told officers the boy fell and hit his head on a plastic truck. Rutledge told police he gave the boy a bath and noticed he wasn't breathing. Rutledge said he called police and started CPR. The Peoria County coroner said the boy died Oct. 18 of blunt force trauma.

Court records didn't list an attorney for Rutledge and he doesn't have a listed phone number.

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Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com

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