Aurora father convicted in son's shaking death

A 27-year-old Aurora man faces a possible life sentence after a judge Friday convicted him of shaking and murdering his infant son three years ago.

Prosecutor Christine Downs called Judge Grant Wegner's decision against Noel Quevedo "absolutely just."

"Whatever (Quevedo's) life circumstances were, he took it out on a helpless 8-month-old child, whose only crime was that he cried," Downs said outside the courtroom. "He would be 4 years old right now and in preschool."

Quevedo has been held in the Kane County jail since his arrest.

He did not show any emotion when Wegner rendered his verdict. A sentencing date has not been set.

The bench trial before Wegner took several months. Prosecutors argued Quevedo was frustrated with the colicky baby after a long day of manual labor in March 2004. Quevedo admitted to Aurora police he shook the baby seven times to make him quiet, but some of his statements were not videotaped.

Three medical doctors, including Lawrence Cogan, who performed an autopsy of the baby at the Cook County medical examiner's office, said the infant had injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

"This kid had severe injuries," Downs added.

Defense attorney Fred Morelli argued the baby died as the result of a seizure caused by undetected brain damage that was the result of a bout with meningitis shortly after birth. Morelli called a pediatric neurologist, Robert Shuman, who testified the seizure led to a string of events -- cardiac arrest, brain damage and eventually brain death.

Wegner said Shuman's testimony lacked data to back up his theory and the state's experts were more credible.

Quevedo claimed he was rocking the baby when his eyes rolled back and he stopped breathing. Quevedo said he might have knocked the baby's head on the wall while running from the basement apartment outside to get the baby some air.

Wegner gave more weight to statements made to police.

Quevedo's family members were obviously upset with the verdict, Morelli said.

"Nobody's doing well. I am astonished. I thought the worst the judge would do is find (Quevedo) guilty of involuntary manslaughter," Morelli said.

He added: "I never in a million years would have thought he was guilty of murder. The police put words in his mouth."